Once Upon A Time
by Amaratta
Summary: Every end has its beginning. Morpheus took a long walk down a memory lane to how the journey started after he had seen how it ended. Complete
1. Prologue

**Once Upon A Time**

Disclaimers: I do not own the Matrix or any of its characters.

* * *

**Prologue**

Morpheus stood alone by the corridor, looking at the dark horizon. How long had it been since this temporary truce was called?

Unlike other Zion citizens, Morpheus didn't believe the war was over. Deep down, he knew it was only a matter of time until Deus ex Machina changed his mind and ordered another attack. And if the time should come, there was no chance for the last human city to survive.

He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh.

How much he had to sacrifice in order to restore peace to this last human city? How many times did he have to cut his own heart for the utmost importance?

It seemed like yesterday when he was crossed by a trusted henchman and lost most of his crews. It felt like an hour ago that his craft was torn apart, and like a second earlier that he bid his last goodbye to his last original crews.

Now, he was tired.

He was tired of being a role model to Zion citizens, tired of being a leader in a rebel against the Machine, but worst of all, he was tired of fighting.

No one asked him why he usually spent time staring at the dark horizon as they all assumed he was planning something big. They all believed that he was waiting for the time he could get on a new craft, recruit new crews, so he could link back into the Matrix and free more minds. He wouldn't say they were wrong, but then they weren't exactly right either.

Yes, he was waiting for a new craft to finish, but no, he wasn't looking forward to freeing more minds. He had another plan, the plan that would surely be stopped had anyone found out what he intended to do.

Hell, he didn't care what other people thought anymore. After all those sacrifices he had made for the city, it was fair for him to do something for himself just once. He had to know what happened to Neo and Trinity after they went into the Machine City.

If they died, he would do everything in his power to get their bodies back to Zion. He owed them that much – Neo, for ending this war, and Trinity, for everything they had been through together.

He had to carry out this little mission even if it meant his life because he wouldn't be able to rest in peace again until he knew what happened and how it happened. To hell with peace, it was only temporary anyway.

* * *

When Niobe got out of her cabin in the middle of the night, she didn't expect to see anyone. Yet, she wasn't surprised when she saw a man in dark red clothing which indicated his status as a captain of a hovercraft. 

It was normal for Morpheus to be up at nights, planning on something big. Only this time, she couldn't tell what plot was on his ingenious mind.

So, she approached to him and greeted, "Hey, Morpheus. What are you doing up?"

Morpheus turned to look at the much smaller woman for a second then he turned back to the dark sky.

"They are building a new ship for me," he replied.

Niobe knitted her brows and stared at Morpheus's back. The answer was quite uncharacteristic for him, yet she decided to ignore the fact.

"They're doing the same for me too," she commented.

"I miss it, Niobe," Morpheus remarked.

Niobe blinked in perplex as she couldn't figure out what _it_ really was. Her best guess was that Morpheus missed his former ship, the Nebuchadnezzar, but somehow that didn't sound right.

"The Neb?" she wondered.

Shaking his head slightly, he corrected, "The Old Man."

"But you never missed it before," she countered. "Not since that ship was destroyed almost two decades ago."

"It was the first ship I lost," he reasoned.

"It was the first ship _we_ lost," Niobe corrected.

Morpheus nodded in agreement before he took a deep breath. Gently, Niobe placed her hand on his forearm to show him support. He turned to give her one of his rare smiles.

"I never had any doubt when I made a choice, Niobe," he claimed. "I may have a few regrets, but at least I always know I did the good thing. But there were times, when I wondered if my crews made the right decision."

"It wasn't your fault they died, Morpheus," said Niobe. "They chose to do it. _She_ chose to do it."

"I know, but it still doesn't keep me from wondering."

Niobe turned to look at the man who was standing right next to her again and saw that even though he was there talking to her, his mind was drifted to some place else, the place that only existed in their fading memories, the ship that had been destroyed by the Machines since a long time ago, the Methuselah…

To Be Continued

* * *

I welcome all kinds of reviews including flames, so please let me know what you think. 

Amaratta


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A punk rock song faded out just to be replaced by a unique voice of the DJ.

"Good evening. You're listening to _Freak FM 33.3_. I'm Trinity as your host and tonight we're talking about dreams.

"I used to have dreams that felt so real that when I woke up I wondered if I was really awake, but that's just me. Let's hear what our friend, Morpheus, has to say about his dream. Hello, Morpheus."

"Hello, Trinity."

"You should have many things to say in this topic, right? Coz, you know, Morpheus is a god of sleep."

"Yes, and that's why I spent all my childhood sleeping," he replied.

"You're kidding."

"Am I?" he returned. "Anyway, my dream is to find the One who can free everyone's mind from the Matrix."

"You know, I've heard about the Matrix Theory before, but this is the first time someone actually mentioned it like they really know what it really is," Trinity commented. "Does this mean you know what the Matrix is?"

"Oh, yes. I know exactly what it is."

"In this case, can you share with us? I'm sure everyone who's listening to this program will be interested."

"There is no way I can explain it to you, but I can show you. The problem is you might not be ready for the truth."

"I'm ready. You can tell me now."

"I can't tell you now, not over the phone."

"Then when are you going to tell me?"

"Soon."

"How do I reach you?"

"You don't," he replied. "I will find you."

* * *

_Some time in the 80s_

It was a typical Friday afternoon when all students rushed their ways through the gate of the school after the bell rang. One of them was a multicolored-haired girl who wore a green off-shoulder shirt with thick black belt and tight mini skirt. She walked as if she couldn't care less about the world, carrying a thick physic book in her arm.

"Hey, Rhiannon, wait!"

The girl turned around just to see her friend running after her. She then lifted an eyebrow as a question.

"What?"

"Are you coming to Regina's birthday party tonight?" her friend asked.

"I'd never be caught dead at that place," Rhiannon grimaced. "Besides, I've got a better thing to do."

"I know you're gonna say that."

"Then why ask?"

"Just so you can't say later that I didn't ask. Anyway, you left _this_ on your desk."

By saying 'this' her friend meant a small black leather bag. Rhiannon looked at it with a confused look on her face, but her friend had already disappeared into the crowd when she looked up. So, she sighed and took the bag with her anyway.

* * *

As Rhiannon got into her car that was parked at the school's parking lot, she heard a sound coming from the bag her friend had mistakenly believed it was hers.

"Mad Hatter calling the Queen of Hearts, repeat Mad Hatter calling the Queen of Hearts, over."

"What the…" Rhiannon muttered.

She then opened the said bag and looked inside to find the source of the sound. It appeared there was a small walkie-talkie inside, and someone was saying something.

"So, how does this thing work?" she wondered.

As if the speaker could read her thought, he stated, "Press the black button when you speak, and release once you finish, over."

Deciding to play along with it, Rhiannon pressed the button and replied, "Hi. I don't know who you're trying to call, but I'm absolutely not the Queen of Hearts or whatever. I just got this thing by mistake."

"Are you Rhiannon Scarlett?"

"Yeah, so?" she replied. "Hey! How the hell do you know who I am?"

"I did say I would find you, didn't I?" he stated. "Now, are you still interested in finding out what the Matrix is?"

"That doesn't answer my question. Wait…you are Morpheus."

"And by day, you are Rhiannon Scarlett, an excellent student who's going to join M.I.T. soon after she finished high school," he noted. "However by night, you are Trinity – the only DJ and the sole operator of Freak FM 33.3, the radio frequency which broadcasts illegally."

Rhiannon blinked.

"Now, tell me," Morpheus continued. "Do you still wonder what the Matrix is?"

"Yes."

"Your friend, Regina, is holding a party tonight," Morpheus noted. "I will see you there."

"No way, man," she protested. "I've got a program to run."

"Well, suit yourself, but I must tell you this is a one-time deal. Think about it, Trinity. This offer stands till 7:30. This conversation is over."

Rhiannon looked at the walkie-talkie in her hand and frowned. She didn't know if she could trust Morpheus or if she should meet him at the party. Yet, one thing she knew was that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she would never live in peace not knowing what the man had to show her.

* * *

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Rhiannon made her way to the place she would never be caught dead at. It seemed everyone was surprised to see her there, but they all acknowledged her with a nod.

"Hey, I thought you said you wouldn't come."

Rhiannon turned around only to see the same friend who had asked her if she would go to the party.

"So I've changed my mind," she deadpanned. "Do you see someone…?"

"Yeah…don't you?"

Rolling her eyes, Rhiannon muttered, "Forget I asked."

With that, she left her airhead friend and walked around to find someone who could possibly be Morpheus.

After she had spent an hour to look for the mysterious man but found no suspect, Rhiannon called it quit and walked out of the party. When she reached to the road in front of the house, she was almost hit by a black sedan.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" she yelled. She then sighed and muttered to herself, "This is the most frustrating day of my life."

Before she could continue on her way, that same sedan was backed towards her and stopped right in front of her.

The passenger door was opened, so Rhiannon had no choice but to look inside in curiosity. She then saw an African-American man who was in his mid-twenties. He stared back at her and said, "I'm Morpheus."

Without hesitation, Rhiannon got into the car. Yet, she couldn't help but remark, "I thought you'd be older than this."

"And you think older people actually listen to your frequency?" he returned.

She shook her head.

"So where're we heading?"

"The safe house," the man replied.

"Okay, let me ask you one thing then, Morpheus," Rhiannon began. "Why don't you just go to a national TV? I mean, that way you'll reach to much more people."

"And be sent to an asylum? I don't think so. Besides, if everyone believes me, there'll be havoc."

"Then why me?" she asked.

"Because you seek for the truth," he replied. "And you deserve to know it, that is, if you choose to. I must warn you, though, Trinity, that this truth would turn the whole world you thought you knew upside down."

"Just tell me already. I don't have all night, you know."

Morpheus glanced at the teenager who was sitting right next to him.

"There's a small silver box in the glove compartment," he stated. "Open it."

Rhiannon did as he instructed and opened the compartment. She then picked up the box and opened it.

"If you want the truth, take the red pill," he pointed. "But if you're not ready for it, take the blue one."

"You said this is a once in a lifetime offer, so tell me why I should turn it down."

"Because you might not like the truth," Morpheus reasoned. "And once you took the red pill, nothing can be undone."

"Oh, enough with the mystery crap and tell me already," she sighed.

"Take the red pill and I'll show you."

Rhiannon turned to study Morpheus's still face and narrowed her gaze.

"If this turns out to be crack, you're in deep shit."

Morpheus simply shrugged. He then pulled his car over at the side.

"Make your choice."

Rhiannon took the red pill out of the box then she started at him again.

"What, no water? You really expect me to just swallow this?"

Morpheus smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Follow me up," he said. "I'm sure there's some water at the safe house."

With that, Morpheus got out of the car. Rhiannon then looked at both pills before she decided to leave the blue pill behind and brought with her only the red one. She then followed Morpheus to the safe house. There was no way for her to know that the choice that she made would forever change her destiny.

TBC

* * *

And this, everybody, is my weird idea about how Morpheus and Trinity first met. 

Reviews are welcome as always

And of course, I don't own the Matrix

Amaratta


	3. Chapter 2

_I do not own The Matrix Trilogy or any of the characters_

**Chapter 2**

Morpheus yawned and looked for something that could keep him awake until his shift ended, but none was found. He would never admit it aloud but he had actually missed Trinity's Freak FM and the punk rock songs that she liked to play.

Just as he wished someone would be there to release him off the shift, his prayer was answered when someone approached to him.

"I'll take it from here. You can have a rest."

Morpheus turned around only to see a forty-something-year-old man whose hair had amazingly all turned grey. The man's name was Nomad and he had been a captain of the ship for the past decade.

"I'd like to finish my shift, captain," Morpheus replied.

"Good," the captain remarked. "I can use a company."

"Since you're staying and I'm not leaving, can I ask you one thing?"

"If it's about Trinity and when I'm going to take her to the Oracle, I can only say we'll have to wait until she learns some manners," the captain pointed with a soft chuckle.

Morpheus responded with a smirk and a remark, "I think I know what you mean."

They both exchanged a faint smile as they recalled the event that happened on the day Nomad introduced Trinity to the real world and showed her what the Matrix was.

* * *

_One month earlier _

Trinity had woken up from her long slumber only to be greeted by Nomad's face. As she saw the way he dressed, she mumbled to herself, "This'd better be another twisted dream."

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I'm afraid this is reality," said the captain.

"Okay…so tell me how can I tell which is real and which is fantasy? Should I slap myself hard or something?"

"Unfortunately, that trick wouldn't work," he smiled kindly. "You'll have to take my word for it. Now, follow me. I'll introduce you to the crews then I'll show you the Matrix."

"Oh, finally," she shrugged. "But what crews?"

"Well, Trinity, we're currently on board of the _Methuselah_, more commonly known as 'the _Old Man_' for some reasons," he noted. "I am the captain of this ship, a hovercraft actually."

Trinity looked at her surrounding and shrugged again, "I guess I'll have to take your word for that too."

"You will see in time," said the Methuselah's captain. "Now, follow me."

Nomad strode down the hallway so Trinity followed. Although he didn't walk all that fast, Trinity found it very hard to catch up. As if having a back eye, Nomad paced slower.

"You'll get used to it soon," he said gently. "You just never really walked on your feet before."

"Or I'm still on a high," Trinity mumbled.

It wasn't a long walk to the operation center where a group of people were in front of many computer screens that made the most modern computer Trinity had ever seen looked like an antique.

"You've already known Morpheus," said Nomad. "And you've met Niobe, Soren, Roland, Ballard and Ghost."

The said people turned around and either smiled or nodded at Trinity when their names were called.

"The only person you haven't met is Gaia," said Nomad. "She's our operator."

"How come she doesn't have these?" Trinity gestured towards the plugs on her arms.

"She's one of the people who were born outside the Matrix, which reminds me," said the captain. "Now, it's time to show you what the Matrix really is."

-------------------------------------

"So…the Matrix is a program that the Machine created to make us believe that we are in the real world and that they do not exist," Trinity summed up after Nomad had finished his long lecture. "This is weirder than I thought."

"There is still a lot more for you to learn about the Matrix," Nomad added. "But I'll leave that to Morpheus and the gang. Any questions so far?"

"Are we in the Matrix now?"

"Not really," the captain replied. "This place is called '_The Construct_' and we used it to load everything we need to use in the Matrix – clothes, weapons, vehicles, you name it."

"If this is a program, then why do I still look like myself?"

"The program will create your digital self base on how you project your residual image, which is why you look like the way you remember yourself instead of the way you really are in the real world. That is why all the plugs are gone, and your hair and your clothes are changed."

"What do you mean my hair's changed?"

It was time for Nomad to give Trinity a confused look but he explained to her anyway.

"Oh…now your hair is back to be multicolored and somewhat crimped, but in the real world you are bald."

"WHAT?!?" Trinity cried. "Get me outta here! Now! LET ME OUT!!!"

Nomad took a few steps away from the hysterical teen and wondered what was going on in the girl's mind. She had managed to keep her cool so far that he believed she would be the first who would not become frantic after she heard the hash truth, but now she had just proven him wrong.

-------------------------------------

Trinity was greeted by Morpheus's concerned face, but she couldn't care less about that now. She struggled to get out off the chair that would connect to her to the computer world.

"Calm down, Trinity," Morpheus soothed. "Take a deep breath."

"Mirror…" she demanded. "Give me a goddamn mirror!"

Morpheus frowned before he looked at the rest of the crews. Everyone shrugged as a reply but none seemed to know what to do with the girl. In the end it was Niobe who was the first to react. She grasped the nearest tray and handed it to the girl, which was an action everyone would soon regret.

Trinity snatched the tray from Niobe's hand and used it as a mirror. Then she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I'M BALD!!!"

* * *

A faint smile grew into a laugh once they recalled the reason Trinity had gone haywire had everything to do with her hairstyle but nothing to do with the truth about the Matrix. 

"Just when I thought I'd seen it all," Nomad noted lightly.

"Yeah, that wasn't a reaction I expected either," Morpheus admitted. "You're right. We can't have her scream at the Oracle if her fate turns out the way she doesn't like it. The Agents will all know where we are without having to track us."

"Aside from that, I think you made a good call," Nomad stated. "She has potential, and I'm sure she's going to be a great asset once she gets a little older."

"I should have waited another year," Morpheus sighed. "Maybe then she wouldn't be this… you know what I mean."

Nomad smiled as he said, "Everything comes with a price, I guess. Now really, Morpheus, go to bed and have a rest. Don't you have an early schedule tomorrow?"

"Yes…another training program with Trinity," Morpheus smiled softly. "She's driving me nuts with all those questions."

"A proof that you're not teaching an idiot," Nomad replied. "Deal with it. You drove me even more insane when you first joined the Old Man."

"I'll just think of that as a compliment, Capt."

"Well, you finish that training, and I'll decide when she's ready for the Oracle."

"Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight, Morpheus."

With that, Morpheus left his seat so the captain would take the next shift to watch the Matrix. He sighed softly, knowing that he would have a long day ahead of him.

TBC

* * *

A/N: This is a fun chapter to write. Trinity is way out of character, but well... I assure you she will soon be back in character (or at least I hope she will be.) Now let me know what you think about this chapter. 

_Orez Evol _-- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the story. For other stuff, just PM me.

Amaratta


	4. Chapter 3

_I realized I didn't put a disclaimer on the previous two chapters, so I went back to fix it. Anyway, what I'm meaning to say is that I have no claim over the Matrix._

**Chapter 3**

Morpheus and Trinity were standing together on top of a skyscraper. Although it had been a few months and he was now used to the way she looked, he still had to suppress his laugh every time he saw his moody student.

Trinity glared back at him. Her hair in the Matrix was now in the same style as she wore it in the real world, which was skin head. According to Trinity herself, her residual image had been shattered once she saw herself bald so her hair would always look the same way it was in reality.

Morpheus dismissed the dead glare and gestured to another building that was far away.

"Well, Trinity," he began. "You know what we're here for."

"I still don't know why I really have to do this."

Morpheus glared at his current student before he explained once again, "It might be useful when you were chased by the Agent and got nowhere else to run."

"There's no Agent now," she protested. "Besides, there's no way I can make it to that rooftop. I'm gonna fall again, and it hurts."

"So you're gonna give up just because you failed? I know you are better than that. Now should I demonstrate again?"

"Watching how you do it wouldn't make me able to do it, Morpheus, and you know that."

"Yes, that's why you have to jump," he rolled his eyes. "Forget what you've learned about physic and tell yourself you can do it."

"But how can I convince myself that I can when every single cell in my body tells me that I can't?"

Morpheus gritted his teeth and had to use every control he had not to strangle the skinhead teenager who was standing right beside him with her arms folded around her chest.

"Oh, for God's sake, shut up and jump!" he growled. "Think of me as an Agent if you wish coz if you don't jump now, I'm so gonna kill you!"

Seeing the rage in Morpheus eyes, Trinity knew the man was dead serious. As she believed she would have a better chance at surviving the fall than Morpheus's strangle, she held her breath and ran as fast as she could.

She jumped.

Morpheus waited on top of the roof and watched as his wayward student jumped her way to another building with mixed feelings. It was no secret to the Methuselah's crews that Trinity got under his skin the way nobody else ever did, but it was also obvious that he was proud of her.

Unable to decide whether or not he should compliment her accomplishment, Morpheus simply shouted, "Now jump back here!"

Trinity did as he commanded, and when she landed on the same roof with him, she asked, "What? No 'good job' or 'well done'? I'm hurt."

"You know what really hurts, Trinity?" he asked monotonously.

"No," Trinity replied and when she saw a look in Morpheus's eyes, she quickly added, "And I don't wish to find out."

"Now if you're done playing, meet me at the Construct. We're going to the Oracle's."

The voice that could be heard from the sky above them resembled the voice of their captain, Nomad. So Morpheus once again glared at Trinity who looked at him for an explanation.

"Have you ever read a horoscope?"

* * *

"Does she know everything?"

The question came from Trinity once they were all sitting in their car. She was sitting at the back with Captain Nomad while Niobe was the driver and Morpheus took the passenger seat.

"She'd like to believe she does," Nomad explained. "So far, what she told us is never wrong."

"What does she tell you, captain?"

"Me?" Nomad smiled kindly. "She told me a lot of things. All of them have already come true except for the one she told me I would to be the last captain of the Old Man."

"And how could that possibly come true? I mean, you're going to be promoted in two months, and Morpheus's supposed to take your place."

"It's still possible," the older man noted. "The Old Man has been in operation for almost a century now. The Council might just decide to keep it at the museum once I got promoted."

Trinity nodded as she could see that Nomad's explanation could make some sense. She then poked her head between Morpheus and Niobe.

"So, what's yours?"

Morpheus looked at Trinity and replied, "She only told me to some certain events would happen and once they all come true, she wanted me to see her again."

"That's weird, and yours, Niobe?"

"Two ships, two directions," Niobe recalled. "I supposed it means one day I will have to leave the Old Man to command my own ship."

"That's highly possible, considering the Capt's," Trinity commented. "Now I'm anxious to know mine."

Niobe looked at Trinity through the rearview mirror and said with a soft tone, "Just try not to scream at her if she says something you don't like."

"What? Why do you think I will scream at the lady?"

"Well, you did make quite an impression," Nomad remarked, his expression soft.

"One mistake and you guys won't let me live that down," the skinhead complained with a pout.

"What? It's funny," Morpheus said. "Everyone was bald when they got to the real world but no one's ever screamed their head off like you. You act like it's never gonna grow back."

"It's easy for you to say, Morpheus," Trinity snapped. "You're always bald."

"Oh, I'm not always bald. I used to love my 'fro, but I got over it," he remarked with a wink.

"Really, now you guys," Niobe noted, rolling her eyes. "You should both ask Gaia to load you both some good wigs. What is it with you guys and hair anyway?"

"Haven't you heard, Niobe?" Nomad asked calmly. "In this era, image is everything."

Niobe only chuckled softly as she pulled the car over by the side.

"Uh, here we are, at last," Nomad pointed. "Come with me, Trinity."

* * *

There was no way Morpheus or Niobe could know what happened up there at the Oracle's, but somehow they were both grateful they didn't have to find out. They both could only feel sorry for the old African-American lady.

"I see you and Trinity get along very well," Niobe commented when she was alone with Morpheus.

"What can I say? She kinda grows on me," he said and smiled as he added, "Like a fungus. Don't tell me you have a problem with that."

"God, no," Niobe quickly denied, "I like her too. She's like a little sister to me."

"Yeah…there's something about her that you can't help but like."

"Right," Niobe agreed. "Ah…how I wish I could be up there and see what's going on."

"And how I wish other wise," Morpheus noted with his eyes rolled. "Nomad said she might change when she got a little older."

"Some things change, Morpheus."

Right after Niobe finished her line, they both heard something that sound like a yell and the voice sounded very similar to Trinity's.

"Unfortunately, Niobe," Morpheus returned with a sigh. "Some don't."

* * *

Well, you all know what the Oracle told Trinity so I think it's not really necessary to put it here, is it? By the way, if it's not too much trouble, please review. It will help me improve my writing.

Amaratta


	5. Chapter 4

_This wouldn't be called fanfic if I owned the movies._

**Chapter 4**

Trinity looked a little upset as Nomad almost dragged her out of the building. Nomad simply gave Morpheus a roll of his eyes and Morpheus could only respond with a shrug.

"Didn't I ask you not to scream at the Oracle?" Niobe wondered. "Should I know what happened there?"

"Hey, I didn't scream," Trinity protested.

"Right," Morpheus sighed. "That's why we heard you from down here. What happened?"

"Apparently, little missy here has some problem with her ears," Nomad remarked softly. "I only heard her shout 'what' for at least three times."

"I just want to make sure I heard it right," the teen cringed. "What the heck is 'the One' anyway?"

"Actually it's not a what, it's a who," Niobe corrected. "I thought Morpheus told you about him."

"I thought you already told her," Morpheus claimed.

"So will I ever know who that is?" Trinity interrupted.

"Let me do the honor," Nomad shook his head. "He was a man born inside the Matrix. He had a power to make the Matrix the way he saw fit. He freed the first generation of us, but like other humans, he died. The Oracle had prophesied his return. We hope that with his return, he would end this war."

"So you believe you're going to find that guy?"

"Yep," Morpheus nodded. "She said something about him to you?"

"Sure. She said the One's life will be on the line and for him to survive I must believe," Trinity quoted. "At first I didn't understand why it's important, but I guess I know now."

Although Morpheus suspected there was something more about Trinity's fate than she let on, he knew better than to force it out of her. After all, it wasn't strange to keep what the Oracle said to yourself.

"Oh, I got you this." Trinity showed a jar of cookies she had taken with her from the Oracle's place. "Do you think it's enough for everyone?"

* * *

On their way back, Niobe drove past the school where Trinity used to go to. The teen looked at the gate with a longing look as she noted, "You know, I hated that place when I went there, but now that I know could never go back, I actually miss it."

"I'm sorry I made you miss your chance to be a prom queen," Morpheus said softly, trying to lighten the mood.

Trinity shook her head softly before she took a cookie out of the jar and bit it.

"Do they even miss me there?" she mused.

Nomad sent the girl a sympathetic look and put a hand on her shoulder as he noted gently, "The truth, my dear, is that soon after you were unplugged from the Matrix. The Matrix would rewrite the program and everyone you know would forget you existed. You would be like a déjà vu, people might think they saw you before, but they wouldn't know where or when."

Trinity put a smile on her face before she noted, "I can find everything I need from the Old Man anyway."

The other three Methuselah's crews smiled as they knew what Trinity was trying to say. Yet the sentimental moment was never meant to last, especially when you were the most wanted terrorists in the Matrix.

"Hate to interrupt, but we've got a company," Niobe said as she stepped on the gas paddle.

Morpheus glanced at the side mirror and he could identify an Agent on a Harley Davidson. The Agent smiled at him and dug his hand inside his jacket to pick his gun.

Instinctively, Morpheus ducked and pushed Niobe's head down with him, causing the car to swerve. After a hale of bullets went a few inches above their heads, Morpheus and Niobe got back up. Morpheus then pulled a machine gun out of nowhere and fired at the Agents.

"Niobe, get us outta here, fast!" Nomad commanded, dialing the car phone in one hand. "Soren, Roland, get the hell out, we've been mated. Repeat, we've been mated!"

Niobe hit on the gas paddle once again and tried her best to hit the Agent off the road. She was successful and the Harley fell off the road. Yet, the Agent popped back in as a truck driver.

Trinity searched for her weapon as she muttered, "Remind me to kill the Oracle the next time I see her. That bitch claimed she knew everything, but she didn't even bother to warn me we'd be ambushed!"

As she finished her line, Trinity shot at the Agent who was now in a truck, and the bullet went straight in his head. However, soon after he died, the said Agent popped back right in the convertible. The skinhead frowned in frustration.

"Don't they ever die?"

Nomad picked up a machine gun, and ordered, "Get down, Trinity."

With that said, Nomad fired his machine gun above Trinity's head towards the convertible. Morpheus picked up a phone then called back to the operator.

"Gaia, we need an exit," he commanded. "Trinity, reload."

Trinity took the gun from Morpheus's hand and reloaded it before she handed it back. It was amazing how Morpheus managed to keep firing at the Agent while he was still on the phone with Gaia.

"Remind me to bring more guns with me next time," Nomad noted as he realized he ran out of ammo. "Do we get our exit?"

"The nearest payphone is at Trinity's old high school," Morpheus informed.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Niobe cried. "Can't we have any more crowded place?"

"Just chill, Niobe," Trinity interjected. "It's summer. Nobody's gonna be there."

Niobe took a deep breath as she put the car on reverse at its highest speed and stated, "Let's pray you're right and that there's not gonna be any more surprises."

* * *

It was miraculous how they were able to lose the Agent before they got to Trinity's old high school. The said girl was moving her lips like she wanted to say something, but then she decided against it.

Nomad kicked the door opened before he leaded his crews down the hallway. A phone ring could be heard from afar.

"If they haven't changed anything in the school, the payphone would be right next to the gym," Trinity said in a whisper. "Walk down the hallway and take the first right."

"Okay, Trinity, since you're an expert here, you lead," Nomad said in the same manner then he frowned. "Why are we whispering?"

They all exchanged a faint smile then Trinity took the lead while the rest followed.

Just when they saw the payphone that was ringing, the gym door went wide open. Then a blond girl who wore a tight cheerleader outfit walked out of the door. And just like any airhead bimbo, she screamed.

"Shit!" Trinity cursed. "Can't she be a little more creative?"

Though nobody could tell why Trinity still carried it with her, Trinity picked a chocolate chip cookie from the cookie jar and threw it right inside the cheerleader's mouth.

She turned back only to see Morpheus and Niobe rolling their eyes.

"What?"

"Get to the phone," Nomad yelled. "We don't have much time."

They followed their leader's command and ran as fast as they could to the ringing phone. Trinity was the first to get out, followed by Niobe. Morpheus and Nomad still had their eyes on the choking cheerleader just in case she would transform into an Agent.

"You go, Morpheus," said the captain.

Morpheus nodded as he answered the phone. Nomad then hung the phone up and waited for it to ring again. At the same time Nomad was picking up the phone, the cheerleader transformed into an agent and shot at him. He fired back then he disappeared from the phone booth.

The Agent shook his head as he reported back to the agency, "They got away."

* * *

When Nomad was unplugged, the rest of his crews were all there.

"That was close," Morpheus commented.

"Yes," Nomad agreed. "Trinity…"

The captain then looked around to find his latest crew. He then saw her standing behind Niobe.

"Next time you see a screaming cheerleader, shoot her," he instructed. "Now everyone get back to work. There's nothing for you to see."

Knowing better than to disobey the captain's command, the crews scattered and went back to do their duty. Morpheus then followed his favorite student and gave her a pat on her shoulder. Once Trinity turned to his direction, he gave her an approving look.

"Good job, Trinity."

"Thanks, Morpheus."

Trinity gave Morpheus a broad grin that he couldn't help but smile back. He then faked a serious expression and continued, "Watch your language, though."

The skinhead smiled again as she watched her mentor turned around and walked away. She then shrugged and got back to her work.

* * *

No comment? Ah...well...never mind, I'll keep posting anyway. You see, I like to finish whatever I start, even if it's bad.


	6. Chapter 5

_If I got paid every time I say this, then I would be rich enough to own them, but I didn't. So, no, still don't own them._

**Chapter 5**

A life on the Old Man was never boring, but Trinity couldn't help feeling thrilled when she heard from the crews that it was time for them to return to the last human city, _Zion_.

Though she was exciting to see Zion for the first time, Trinity realized that when they regrouped again for the next mission after the ship was recharged, Nomad wouldn't be joining them. The kind captain would be promoted, and he would have stay back in Zion as a commander.

"Excited, are we?"

The question came from no one else but the captain himself. Trinity looked over her shoulder to smile at him.

"Sure. I can't wait to see Zion," she replied. "I'm gonna miss you, though."

"Don't miss me just yet," said Captain Nomad. "I'm still your captain for two more weeks."

"But, sir, you'll always be my captain."

Nomad smiled lightly and placed his hand on the top of Trinity's head.

"And you'd always be my little skin-headed crew," he said with a soft chuckle.

Trinity glared at her captain, but her glare faded when she saw his soft expression.

Nomad looked away from Trinity as he heard some footsteps heading towards his direction. Then Morpheus appeared at the door.

"Sir, we've got Sentinels on our sensor," he informed. "They're heading towards us."

"How many?" the captain asked.

"Can't tell," Morpheus noted. "I only know at this speed they're gonna reach us in less than ten minutes."

"Trinity, warn the rest of the crews," Nomad commanded. "Morpheus, come with me."

* * *

Nomad and Morpheus reached to the operation center where Gaia, Ballard and Ghost had already been looking at the censor. A 3D image of a bunch of Sentinels could be seen.

"Gaia, charge the EMP," Nomad commanded once he entered the room. "Morpheus prepared the guns just in case."

A few seconds later, Trinity, Niobe, Soren and Roland joined the rest of the crews at the operation center.

"Everyone, in your positions," Nomad ordered, "Niobe, I need a second pilot."

As Niobe graduated from Zion's prep school as the top pilot of the class, she didn't show any surprise when Nomad called her to be his second pilot instead of Morpheus who was the ship's first mate.

The only person who seemed to be surprised was Trinity who had no idea about the crews training background. She then looked around as she was still a temporary crew of the ship and had no permanent position. In the end, she decided to follow her mentor and stood right behind his chair when Morpheus was getting ready to fire.

Nomad and Niobe landed the hovercraft then they killed the engine, hoping that the Sentinel would fly past them.

"What do we do now?" Trinity asked.

"Now we shut up and hope they wouldn't notice we are here."

"That's easy," she mumbled.

"Is that?" Morpheus raised an eyebrow.

Knowing what Morpheus was implying, Trinity pouted but said nothing in reply. They all stayed quiet for a few minutes until the Sentinel flew over their ship.

Before the Methuselah's crews could sigh in relief, a Sentinel returned and attacked the ship for no reasons.

"Shit!"

It was Nomad's who cried out. He then left the pilot cabin with a big electromagnetic gun in his hand.

"Should we fire the EMP now, captain?" Gaia asked.

"No, wait for my command."

Nomad then ran to the section that was ripped by the Sentinel. He took a deep breath before he shot at the roof where the Sentinel was supposed to be.

He didn't miss.

A sound of metal falling against another metal echoed in the air. Unfortunately, that sound also drew attention from all other Sentinels.

"Captain, the Squids are back!" Niobe shouted from the pilot cabin.

Nomad ran back to the pilot cabin just to witness with his own eyes. When he saw dozens of the Sentinels heading back towards them, Nomad looked at Niobe.

"It's time to show us why you are the best pilot of your class."

Niobe pursed her lips and nodded.

"It's gonna be close," she mumbled.

"I know, but I don't want to use the EMP unless it really is our last option."

With that, Nomad got on the pilot seat and buckled up. He started the engine then the race began.

* * *

Niobe wiped a sweat from her forehead as she used all skill she learned from the Zion Academy to navigate the ship along the path that was full of obstacles. Nomad was no doubt the best pilot she had ever worked with, yet Niobe would rather fly with him on a different circumstance.

Meanwhile, back at the operation center, things were in a mess. Everyone was taking charge of their own gun turret, and they all tried to get the best shot at the Sentinels as possible. Yet it seemed for each Sentinel that was gunned down, two more would take it place.

Suddenly, the ship took a 90 degree rotation. Being the only person who didn't have her own seat, Trinity slid down the floor and landed on Roland's back.

"Crap!" she cried. "Sorry, Roland. I think I'll have to hold on to you for a while."

Roland waved his hand in order to tell Trinity that it was alright, but then the girl noticed that Roland's face was a little off color.

"Hey, Roland, are you alright?"

The man said nothing in reply, but somehow Trinity believed she understood.

The ship took another turn and as Trinity still didn't get a good grip at Roland's seat, she fell back and hit Morpheus's seat.

"You might wanna grab on to something," Morpheus advised. "I should have told you Niobe and Nomad are pilots from hell."

As he finished his line, Morpheus fired a few more shot and looked over his shoulder to see Roland.

"Hey, Roland, if you barf, we'll never let you live this down."

Though it used to be off color, now Roland's face turned all red as he snapped, "Screw you, Morpheus!"

Morpheus turned back to his task as he shouted, "You're welcome."

Roland hated to admit but Morpheus's word had actually made him forget that he wanted to throw up, so he didn't. He simply went back to shooting the Sentinels and prayed the fight would be over soon, or else it would take more than an insult for him to hold on to his breakfast.

As she saw some sparks going down from the ceiling, Trinity remarked, "Umm…guys... I think there's something wrong with our ceiling."

"What?"

They all looked away from their job for a while so they could see what Trinity was talking about. They then realized the Sentinel had managed to rip past the sheild and it was about to reach to the operation center.

"Holy shit!" Morpheus cried. "Trinity, take my place."

Not only did he commanded, Morpheus also got up and pushed Trinity down to his seat so she had no choice but to comply.

"You know how to fire the gun."

With that said, Morpheus made his way down the hall just to come back with an EM gun in his hand. He stood his ground and waited until the Squid actually showed its ugly face.

As soon as the Sentinel appeared inside the operation center, Morpheus shot it. The gun recoiled so hard that Morpheus ended up at another side of the room. Anyway, that was worth it since that Sentinel had lost all its might and became just another piece of metal.

He could only enjoy the moment for a second before more sparks could be seen along with a glimpse of a metallic arm of the destroyer Squid.

"Captain, we can't hold on any longer!" Morpheus shouted. "They're inside now."

Back in the control room, Niobe glanced at Nomad who pursed his lips tight. He gave her a slow nod.

Niobe adjusted some buttons and slowly pulled the ship down.

"Buckle up, guys!" she yelled. "We're gonna have a crash landing!"

Nomad then yelled, "Gaia, NOW!"

Gaia pressed the red button. An electric field went from the center of the Old Man and continued for some miles, causing all machine to fail, including the Methuselah itself.

The ship hit the ground hard and slid for at least ten feet before it stopped.

Suddenly, everything in the area seemed dreadfully quiet.

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 6

_Still don't own them._

**Chapter 6**

Silence filled the air of the Old Man. Morpheus slowly stood up and picked up the gun that fell on his side. Although the EMP had killed all electric systems in radius, it was still possible for the Machine to send another troop of Sentinels. And in that case, they would have nothing as their defense.

Roland, Soren, Ghost, Ballard, Gaia and Trinity then left their positions. Niobe followed Nomad out of the control room. The latter had a stern expression on his face.

"They could be back at any second," said the captain. "Grab whatever necessary and come back here to regroup. We're leaving."

After all other crews had left, Morpheus approached to his captain. He then asked quietly, "Do we know where the nearest ship is, sir?"

"No, and I'm sure they don't know we're here either," Nomad remarked. "Now get your stuff, Morpheus. You'll have to lead the crews back to Zion."

"And you, sir?"

"I will prepare a gift for the Sentinels so it might slow them down a little if they should stop by," he replied. "Then I'll follow you right behind."

Morpheus nodded.

It was less than a minute later when all crews regrouped at the operation center. Nomad had already been waiting for them. He was holding two more electromagnetic guns in his hands.

"Morpheus will lead you all back to Zion," said Nomad. "I will stay behind to create a diversion. And do not come back, no matter what."

The crews' faces fell as they realized Nomad wouldn't join them.

The captain didn't fail to notice the look on his crews' face, so he said, "Stop looking me like I'm going to die because I'm not. Now Morpheus will be your leader, so obey his commands like they're mine."

As he saw his crews nodded, Nomad continued, "Soren, Roland, take the guns."

The two men stepped out and accepted the gun from Nomad.

"Be safe, everyone," Nomad blessed. "I will see you all back in Zion."

"You too, sir," the crews replied.

Morpheus looked at Nomad again. The captain of the Old Man gave his first mate a bare nod, so Morpheus headed towards the door.

"Let's go."

* * *

Morpheus leaded the crews along the old sewage system. They were all heading due south to where the last human city was located.

"How long will it take us to walk to Zion?" Trinity asked in a whisper.

"A few days if another ship should find us," Soren noted, "but something tells me we won't be that lucky."

"In the worst case scenario, it could take a month on foot," Ballard said with a sigh.

"Super," Trinity remarked sarcastically.

"Quiet," Morpheus ordered. "You don't want the Squiddy to find us and rip our lungs out, do you?"

"Actually, I'm more afraid of you ripping my lungs out, but no," Trinity muttered.

Morpheus rolled his eyes before he continued on his way like nothing ever happened. All the rest of the crews chuckled softly as the verbal banter between Morpheus and Trinity was something they were all used to.

After they had continued for a five more minutes, the crews froze as they saw two Sentinels heading towards their position.

"Hide!"

Though Morpheus didn't shout or yell, they could all hear him clearly. They did as he commanded and searched for the best place to hide. Meanwhile, Morpheus, Roland and Soren were ready to fire their weapons in case the Sentinels should see them.

The Sentinels past them then paused for a few seconds. Morpheus aimed his weapons at one Sentinels and Soren aim his at another while Roland was as their backup. As one Sentinel moved as though it was going to attack, a bomb could be heard from the distance.

The Sentinels then turned and rushed their ways to the source of the sound. Morpheus wiped his sweat with the back of his hand.

"What the hell was that?" Niobe wondered, though she already had an answer at the back of her mind.

"Captain…" Ballard mumbled.

Morpheus too turned around to the direction where the Methuselah had crashed. He couldn't tell what was really happening there, but all he could see was a flame and a lot of smoke.

Though he had a bad feeling in his stomach, Morpheus bit his bottom lip.

"Let's move," he commanded. As he saw his crews still looking back at the Old Man's direction, he added, "Now."

The crews had no choice but to follow their current leader, quietly this time. Even Trinity didn't say a word or ask a question. She simply pursed her lips and continued walking. Everyone seemed to be deep in their own thoughts, and the rest of the path was paved with silence.

* * *

After they had been walking for almost three hours, Morpheus decided that it was alright for them to stop. So he looked for the place where they could hide and leaded the crews there.

"We're going to stop here for five minutes," he declared. "Then we'll get moving."

To his surprise, nobody complained. Morpheus glanced over Trinity with concern and saw her working with something she had taken with her from the ship. As his worried was lifted, he looked at other crews.

Soren and Roland had put down their guns and massaged their own shoulders. Ballard and Gaia found a place to sit down not very far from each other while Ghost looked back to where they had come from.

It seemed Niobe, too, was observing the crews. Once he met her gaze, Morpheus approached to her with a tired look in his eyes.

"Do you think he's alright?"

Morpheus didn't need to ask who she was referring to as he already knew.

"I don't know, Niobe," he replied. "I hope he is."

"I hope so too," she said softly.

Unable to find a word to say, Morpheus tenderly squeezed Niobe's hand. She smiled in return although it was a rather rueful one. They sat quietly together in that position until Niobe spotted a light heading towards their way.

"Morpheus, look," she whispered.

Morpheus stood up and made a signal so that everyone stayed put. He sneaked out of their hiding place to take a look at the source of the light. The gun in his hands was ready to fire if anything bad should happen.

Relief washed over his face once he realized where the light came from. He dropped the guns and waved his both arms to get the attention.

"Guys!" Morpheus shouted. "It's the Gnosis!"

Once they were all on board of the Gnosis, they were greeted by the captain of the Gnosis and the crews.

"Morpheus, Gaia, everyone," said the captain. "I'm glad you all are alive. At first, I thought nobody survived the blast."

"The blast?" Morpheus repeated.

"Yes, the blast," the captain of the Gnosis insisted. "We rushed to the spot once we heard the Old Man was under attack. Unfortunately we could do nothing when it was blown off. It was a wreck when we arrived."

Morpheus blinked. Suddenly, his head went blank, and he was lost of words.

The captain froze as something registered in his mind. He glanced at the Methuselah's crews once again and realized that Nomad wasn't in presence.

"Where is your captain?" he asked.

No answer came from Morpheus, but it seemed no explanation was really needed.

"Shit!" he cursed then turned to his own crews. "Hawkeye, turn the ship around. We've got to find Captain Nomad."

* * *

Though he didn't expect to see the Old Man in its perfect condition and even prepared himself to face the worst, Morpheus still found himself trembling once he saw what was left of the ship that was once his home.

Gaia had fallen to her knees, shock clearly displayed on her pale face. Niobe tried to comfort the broken operator although she knew that her tears threatened to fall from her own eyes.

Soren and Roland ran to the ship and searched to the wreckage like maniacs, wishing they might find their captain alive underneath. A while after that, Ballard and Ghost joined their search.

Trinity made no movement as she watched all the events happening. She could have been mistaken for a statue if a lone tear hadn't rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the ground in front of her.

When the other four men had given up, Morpheus walked to join them as though he was in trance. He tried to comfort his shipmates although deep down he was shattered into pieces. Before he could think of a word, something caught his eyes so he continued walking.

As Morpheus bent down to the ground to get a closer look at the thing that had caught his attention, he had to look away. His jaws clenched tight and he could have burned all Sentinels to death with the inferno in his eyes.

On the ground before him lied a bloody hand that was unmistaken Nomad's.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimers: _Don't own them._

**Chapter 7**

It was late at night, but Morpheus couldn't sleep. His mind kept playing back the memories of the life on the Methuselah, so now he was thinking about how much things had changed.

Since Morpheus was assigned to be a captain of the newest hovercraft, the _Nebuchadnezzar_, he had become obsessed with the search for the One that when he realized again some of his crews had grown apart and decided to take different paths.

Ballard was the first to leave, then he was followed by Roland and Soren. Though Gaia had agreed to stay as the operator of the Neb, she would leave once Morpheus found a new operator. Apparently, she wanted to stay back home after she had spent the past fifteen years on board of the Old Man.

Now the only people who still hadn't discussed leaving his ship were Niobe, Ghost and Trinity, yet Morpheus couldn't be positive whether they thought about leaving him or not.

He now recalled all things that the Oracle said would happen to him. They had all come true, and he knew it was time for him to see her again.

Knowing that Niobe would never like the idea of him entering the Matrix alone just to hear a prophecy, Morpheus decided it would be best for her not to know. Niobe could call him reckless and ridiculous all she liked later, but he couldn't let her stop him.

Sighing softly, Morpheus got off his bed. He knew what he had to do.

The light was still on, but that was expected since one person was always left to watch the ship in case the Sentinels should attack. However, Morpheus didn't even bother to hide his presence when he walked straight in.

"Hey, Trinity," he greeted.

The woman looked over her shoulder and greeted him with a small smile. Morpheus returned her smile as he thought about how much she had changed after the Old Man was attacked.

It seemed Trinity's innocent had been ripped off once the kind-hearted captain had died. Now life was no longer just fun and laughter for her but was something serious, if not cruel.

Since the event, she had talked less and thought more. Now Morpheus couldn't decide if he preferred the talkative girl who usually got on his nerves or the reserved woman she was growing to be.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" she observed.

"I need a favor."

Although she was a confused, Trinity didn't press any question. Instead, she waited for her captain to tell her exactly what he needed her to do.

"I need to get inside the Matrix," he declared.

Trinity stared at him with questions in her deep blue eyes before she remarked, "Okay…but I still don't know why you can't wait till tomorrow so we can all go with you."

"That's the point, Trinity. I want to get in there alone."

"Care to share why?"

"I'm going to see the Oracle," he pointed. "Everything she said to me, no matter how unlikely they sounded at that time, all came true. Now I want to know something I thought only she could answer."

"I still can't see why you can't wait."

"If the crews knew, they might try to stop me from taking the trip or they would insist to come in with me," he reasoned. "So I think it'd be best to just get in there now without anyone knowing."

"And somehow you think I wouldn't insist to come with you."

"Even if you want to, you can't," Morpheus noted with a sly smile. "You see, we need an operator to get in and out of the Matrix, so we can't both go in."

"And if I were to say no?"

"Well, then, as your captain, I'd command you to help me," he noted. "But I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that."

"No, you wouldn't," Trinity assured. "I will help you, and better yet, I won't tell Niobe."

Morpheus flashed Trinity a grateful smile as he remarked, "Thanks, Trinity. I owe you one."

* * *

It was a night in the Matrix when Morpheus droved his black sedan along the road from the safe house to the Oracle's. As the street was empty, it didn't take him more than fifteen minutes to get to his destination.

Before he got a chance to bang on the door, it was opened. Morpheus admitted he was surprised to see a young bald girl at the door, but to his credit, his expression remained normal.

"She is expecting you," the girl said before she turned around and led him in.

Though it wasn't his first time at that place, Morpheus couldn't help but feeling a bit tensed. There was something in its atmosphere that he didn't like.

The girl led him to a dimly lit room that was the Oracle's actual office. People would expect the Oracle's office to look like a place where a fortuneteller worked, having some talismans, some books of spell and perhaps a big crystal orb. However, the Oracle's bookshelf was filled with cook books and there was nothing on her desk but a jar of candies.

"I was hoping you would come," she said.

"I know. You said I would be back here when I became a captain of the Neb."

"Did I?" the Oracle returned.

Rolling his eyes, Morpheus remarked, "I have a question."

"It's about The One, isn't it?" she asked. "You want to know if the prophecy is true. You want to know if you can fulfill the promise you gave to yourself after your former captain was dead."

"Are we gonna find him?"

"_You_ will find the One, but the task will not be easy," said the Oracle. "It requires more than just a simple devotion."

"I will do anything to end this war."

Oracle nodded as she remarked, "I know you're going to say that too, but you must know that in order to achieve your goal, three sacrifices must be made – yourself, your crews and your love."

She looked at Morpheus to make sure that she still had the man's attention before she continued, "It is entirely up to you to decide whether or not it's worth the sacrifices."

"It is," Morpheus replied without hesitation. "So tell me, Oracle. How can I tell if he's the right One?"

"Once you've found him, you'll know," said Oracle. "Just believe in your guts feeling."

Morpheus glared at the older lady, and he felt like strangling her. This woman was unbelievable sometimes. However, he fought down his anger and simply replied, "Thank you, Oracle."

The Oracle gave him an empathic smile before she noted, "We will meet again, Morpheus."

Morpheus nodded before he turned around and left the room. He knew he meant it when he said peace of the last human city was worth the sacrifices, but he still needed to sort things out. After all, the Oracle only told him what sacrifices he had to make, but she never mentioned how or when, nor did she say how he would know if he found the right One. That was a puzzle only he could solve.

* * *

When he came back to the real world, Trinity was waiting for him. She then unplugged him from the chair and helped him sit up.

"You didn't bring me any cookies," she teased.

"I wanted to, but I'm afraid it'll slow me down if I ran into the Agent. You see, I'm not as good as throwing cookies as you are."

"Bummer."

They exchanged a smile as they recalled Trinity's first trip back from the Oracle's. Trinity then returned to her serious mode and asked,

"Did she say anything useful?"

"She said I will find the One."

"That's it?" Trinity asked in disbelief. "Really, if that's all you want to hear, you don't need to get in there. I _know_ you will find the One, Morpheus. In fact, you might've already found him, but you just don't know it yet."

"Who? Ballard? Roland? Soren? Ghost?" Morpheus shook his head. "You can't seriously think one of them is the One."

"No…" Trinity grimaced. "But if you want my opinion on who should be the one, I'll say it's you."

Morpheus looked into Trinity's blue eyes and saw that she didn't just try to make him feel better but also meant what she said. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled softly, "Thanks for believing in me, Trinity."

Smiling back, she whispered, "Anytime."

"Well, I'll leave you to your job, then," he noted, letting go of her shoulder. "Goodnight."

As Morpheus didn't expect her to say anything back, he turned around and headed out of the operation center. Caught in his own thought, Morpheus failed to hear Trinity's soft reply.

"Goodnight, Morpheus."

He would later know it wasn't just a simple goodnight that he had failed to notice, but it was something else that was hidden underneath her simple remark that he had missed.


	9. Chapter 8

_Still not mine_

**Chapter 8**

Trinity had been on a chopper, watchingas her recent target made his way down the street to his parked car. Once he started the engine and drove off, Trinity revved up her engine and followed him.

She was on his trail until he entered a jazz club. Though she wasn't sure it was the best place to catch him, she wasn't in a mood to wait. All she wanted to do was to deliver Morpheus's message and got it over with.

Yet, when she reached to the door of the club, she rolled her eyes as she realized something. Irritated, Trinity made a phone call.

"Morpheus, I don't think I'm dressed for the job," she announced.

"See? I did warn you a leather outfit wouldn't fit in all occasions."

She rolled her eyes when she demanded, "What is your suggestion?"

"I can download you a needlework program, but it'll take you to long to sew new clothes," he replied. "So it's either you walk in there like that or you have to adapt."

Trinity scowled. As she realized it wasn't a time to haggle with her captain, she simply noted, "We will continue this discussion later."

With that, she hung up.

She needed a more proper outfit to get into the club since she didn't want to draw all attentions. Though there might not be a dress code for the club, she still didn't think wearing leather jacket with knee-length leather skirt and high heel boots into a jazz club was the best idea.

* * *

After a long day at work, Giorgio Regan was enjoying his dinner while listening to live music from the band. Though he might have fantasized it, never once in his life he thought he would actually be approached by an alluring young lady.

It was strange that even when she was wearing a black sexy dress that clung perfectly to her curves, the thing that attracted him most was her eyes, her deep blue eyes. She allowed herself to sit gracefully down across to him.

"Giorgio Regan?"

Though he hated to sound stupid in front of such an intoxicating woman, all he could say at that moment was, "huh?"

"My name is Trinity."

"Trinity?" he repeated foolishly. "Where did I hear this name before? No, wait. You can't be the one who hacked the IRS database."

Trinity shrugged.

"But I thought…"

"I don't care what you think," said Trinity. "I'm only here to deliver Morpheus's message."

Again, all Giorgio could say was, "huh?"

"He knows you've been searching for him," she pointed monotonously. "Now what he wants to know is how far you're willing to go to get the answer."

"What answer?"

"If you don't know the question, then maybe you're not worthy of the answer," she stated, glancing at the door. "Try a little harder."

"The Matrix?" Giorgio asked. "You're here about the Matrix?"

"I told you I was only here to deliver Morpheus's message. Now my job is done. He will contact you again."

"And will you be with him when he does that?"

Not answering that question, Trinity simply stood up and said, "Bon appetite, Cypher."

Giorgio didn't have time to respond when Trinity strode towards the exit door. He could only follow her with his eyes only to see that she didn't even bother to look back.

A while after she had left, a question popped in the back of his mind, "How the hell does she know that name?"

* * *

When Trinity was unplugged from the Matrix, it was also time for dinner. So they all gathered at the dining table.

Morpheus took his normal seat at the head of the table while his first mate and lover, though lately the latter was nearly forgotten, Niobe, was sitting at the end. Trinity was sitting to Morpheus's right and next to her was the newest operator of the ship, Tank. Ghost was sitting across to Trinity and to his left was Tank's brother who was the chef and sometime doctor, Dozer.

They ate their meal quietly, until Niobe brought up the subject.

"So, Trinity, you've met this Cypher," she began. "What do you think about him?"

"The man was stupid," Trinity replied without having to think.

Niobe shook her head before she remarked, "I wouldn't call that stupid unless, of course, you think the guy is stupid for being attracted to you."

Morpheus chuckled as he saw the way Trinity scowled.

"So…there's not any chance he could be the One?" Ghost asked teasingly.

"Not even if he grows some brain and rids that soap villain look."

"Is there anything good about him…at all?" Tank wondered.

After a long consideration, Trinity replied, "His skill as a hacker, I think."

"If you don't like him, then why did you go to see him dressing the way you did?"

Dozer wished he had never mentioned it when Trinity awarded him with a cold glare that almost caused him to choke. He didn't understand how Morpheus managed to keep his cool when Trinity did the same to the man.

"Now that someone's mentioned it, where did you get that dress anyway?"

"You told me to adapt, so I adapted," said Trinity.

"Of course by saying adapt you mean knocking down a girl to steal her dress," Morpheus added casually.

"Or you would rather I shot her in the head instead?" she quipped.

Everyone shook their heads when they heard Trinity's reply. Niobe smiled softly as she noted, "That, my friends, is the Trinity we all know and love."

"So, when are we going to take him out?" Tank cut in.

Morpheus glanced at Niobe who shrugged back before he stated, "We'll give him a few days to think."

"Somehow, I hope he makes the right decision and takes the blue pill," Ghost remarked, glancing at Trinity. "Otherwise, he might learn a new meaning of a living nightmare."

Trinity was about to say something back when Niobe interjected, "I don't think you give Trinity enough credit, Ghost."

Just when Tank and Dozer were about to sigh in relief, the first mate of the ship casually added, "It's the living hell, we're talking about."

Tank and Dozer held their breath as Trinity narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"I'm civilized now," she protested.

To Tank and Dozer's surprise, everyone else exchanged light laughter. Morpheus could only look at his newest crews and stated, "You'll get used to it."

Niobe then changed the subject to a lighter one, so they all enjoyed their evening meal.

* * *

After the meal, all the crews left the dining room except for Trinity who had the dish duty so she had to stay back. Morpheus, however, lingered for a little while longer. He wore a serious expression so Trinity looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Morpheus?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Something tells me Ghost made a good point this evening," he stated.

"So?"

"Well, Trinity, if Cypher should take the red pill, do you promise to behave?"

"Anything for you, Morpheus," she replied with a wink.

The captain of the Nebuchadnezzar studied his crew for a few seconds then he shook his head and muttered, "Somehow that doesn't make me any less worried."

Trinity gave Morpheus a sly smile before she turned around to do her task. She was about to say something to reassure him, but when she turned back and looked again, he had already disappeared.

* * *

There is no point in this chapter, really. I just want to write about how Cypher and Trinity first met. Anyway, if you bother to read this far, at least let me know what you think. 


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: If I owned the Matrix, why would I bother with fanfic?_

**Chapter 9**

The Neb was heading back towards Zion for a recharge. This time, Morpheus promised his crews they would stick around at the city for a week after it was recharged.

The truth was Morpheus didn't actually plan to take a vacation since such word did not exist in his dictionary. He only allowed his crews to rest because he needed to recruit more crews to his ship.

Niobe had been promoted, and Morpheus didn't want to hold her back after he knew what she really thought about his dream. It wasn't like he could blame her for not believing, but he still wished there had been another way.

As he announced the news to his crews, Ghost had decided to join Niobe to the new ship. Trinity, Cypher Tank and Dozer still stayed though the latter two gave Niobe a list of names of the people she should choose as an operator of her new ship, the _Logos_.

Morpheus couldn't really know if the fact that he allowed his crews to decide whether they would leave to join Niobe was qualified as his second sacrifice or not, but if it was, then he only had one last sacrifice to make – himself.

When the ship landed at Zion's dock, everyone was so glad they were home again so they rushed their way down the city, including Cypher who had only been to Zion once before this time.

Trinity, however, didn't leave as soon as she could like the rest of the crews. Instead, she stood by Morpheus's side and watched all other crews competed back to their homes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not turning to look at him. "Coz if you're not, you can always talk to me."

"It's alright, Trinity. I will be fine," he refused politely. "You can go home and take a rest."

Trinity shook her head softly.

"You know Zion isn't my home just like I know it isn't yours."

Morpheus glanced at her then he nodded his agreement.

"Our home was destroyed by the Sentinels."

"Yours was," she corrected. "Mine…is now with you on the Neb."

Morpheus turned to meet Trinity's soft gaze. As she saw the question in his eyes, Trinity nodded and added, "That's why I chose to stay."

He looked at the city of Zion and realized how lonesome it always made him feel. He then knew he couldn't return to his place in Zion just yet.

"Thanks, Trinity," he said. "Now, is this too late to take your offer?"

"Nah," she replied with a soft smile that could wash away all the emptiness he felt deep down in his heart. "You can tell me anything."

With a sigh, Morpheus thought back to the day Niobe confronted him about her decision to leave him and the Nebuchadnezzar.

* * *

_A couple of days earlier_

It was a late night, but Morpheus was still wide awake. So, he went to the kitchen to find something to drink and decided that Dozer's booze was the only thing that might be able to knock him out. Just as he was pouring the drink, someone appeared in front of the door.

He turned around and found that it was Niobe who had followed him there. He smiled at her.

"Niobe," he greeted. "You can't sleep either?"

"I wouldn't be up if I could," she reasoned. "You said I could talk to you about everything, right?"

Morpheus knitted his brows as he wondered what Niobe was meaning to say. Though everyone knew they were in some kind of relationship, it had been a long time since they really talked about something aside from work.

"Yes, I did say that," he replied. "What is it, Niobe?"

She sighed again before she remarked, "First, I want you to know that I think you're a great captain."

When Morpheus opened his mouth to answer back, Niobe raised her hand to interrupted him.

"No, let me finish," she pleaded. "I don't think I'll be able to continue if you interrupt me."

Seeing that Morpheus had nodded, Niobe continued:

"I understand why you think finding the One is important. I know you believe in the prophecy and have gone as far as you can to find him, but now your obsession has become unhealthy and I can't take it anymore, Morpheus."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have devoted your life to find him, so now I don't know where I stand in your life anymore," she explained.

"If this is because I didn't give you enough attention…"

"No, Morpheus, that is not it," she insisted. "What I'm saying is I can't compete with the One."

"Look, Niobe, you know I can't stop searching for him. I'm sorry that we grow apart, but I need you here with me right now."

"No, you don't," she protested. She then forced a smile before she continued, "You need someone who's willing to give his or her life to find the One just the way you do. You need someone who believes, but I'm not that person, Morpheus. I don't believe there's the Messiah One to end this war. I don't believe that only one man can change everything. If I stayed, I would only hold you back."

"You're saying that all this time you were just pretending that you believed?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Now it's time for me to come clean and move on with my life."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"I suggest we go our separate ways," Niobe replied. "I've filed my petition to be transferred to another ship. Now Zion sent word. There is a new ship, and I am qualified as a captain."

Morpheus blinked for a couple of times before he managed to say, "Congratulations."

"I wouldn't do this if I didn't know you have everything you need right here on the Neb, but I know you do," she stated. "I hope this is alright with you."

"Yes, it's alright. We're cool. No hard feeling," he noted. "I'm sorry I ever made you feel that way. I just wish it could turn out differently."

"Me too," she whispered.

"So this is it for us then?" he wondered.

"I believe so."

She nodded. Though she knew it was all for the best and that she was the one who broke off this relationship, Niobe was still sad. She could only tell herself that perhaps God had made another plan for them and that trying to hold on would be a sin.

Morpheus took a long look at Niobe and all he could think of was what the Oracle told him on the last time they met. Now the first sacrifice had been made, but somehow he wasn't as hurt as he should be. In fact, he felt a little relieved. If that was the way Niobe had really felt, then it would be best to let her go.

* * *

"Do you think I've been too hard on you guys?" Morpheus wondered. "I mean, other ships returned to base more often and stayed back longer."

"Yes."

"Yes?" Morpheus repeated, staring. "I thought this is where you're supposed to tell me I haven't!"

"What? You want me to lie to you?" Trinity countered. "I can tell you what you want to hear, Morpheus, but what good would it be for you? Truth may be hard, but in the end, it's all you've got."

"Since when did you become deep?"

She snickered. "I'm no longer the girl you unplugged from the Matrix, Morpheus."

"There's still a part of her in you somewhere, Trinity," Morpheus observed.

"Somewhere," she agreed. "Anyway, Morpheus, sometimes you're too hard on us, but that's what makes you stand out. At least, you know what you believe and what you have to do in this war. I can't say for anyone else, but to me, that's one of many reasons why I'm still here."

He nodded and started to look at the woman who had once been his apprentice with a new perspective. She was no longer just a wayward student he had to put up with, but she had now become someone who he could go to when he wanted to put his mind at ease.

"Do you realize something, Trinity?" he asked, lightly this time.

"What?"

"Now that Niobe and Ghost have left, you're automatically the second in command."

"Oh boy…" Trinity cried.

"Yup," Morpheus confirmed her thought. "You're not gonna get your time off like others. You're gonna have to help me recruit some new crews."

Trinity grimaced at the thought. Since she and her captain rarely agreed on the same thing, it would be a rather difficult, if not impossible, job to actually recruit anyone to the ship. Moreover, despite the hard work, many people still wished to join the Neb since they wanted to work with the legendary Morpheus.

Sighing softly, Trinity looked at her captain who was grinning back at her. Together, they walked down the road that leaded to the city they had sworn to protect but not necessarily thought of as a home.

* * *

A/N -- Thanks for the review, RainAwhile. It's good to know someone is still reading the story. 


	11. Chapter 10

_I'm neither one of the Wachowski Brothers, so I don't own it._

**Chapter 10**

The news of the Neb's new recruitment spread across the Zion community like a plague. Though Morpheus had officially announced the news in the morning he arrived in town, hundreds of applications had been filed by noon.

By the end of the day when Morpheus announced he would close for applications, he had actually got at least a thousand of them.

Trinity watched in awe as she was invited into Morpheus's respective room in the next morning and saw two piles of paper on Morpheus's coffee table. At that moment, those piles looked scarier than the Agents themselves.

"Don't tell me I'll have to read all that," said Trinity.

"No, just a half," Morpheus deadpanned.

Trinity sighed as she looked at the said pile of paper.

"Tell me again why we need more people on the ship?" she asked weakly. "Aren't five already enough?"

Though she was complaining, Trinity sat down on the chair after Morpheus gestured her to. So now they were both sitting at the coffee table, facing each other.

"We could use all the help we can get," Morpheus pointed. "We still have to find the One. I'll read this pile."

With that, Morpheus pointed at the pile that was a little higher and picked up the top application from the pile. He then began to skim through its content.

"Whatever you say, captain," Trinity rolled her eyes.

Morpheus paused and looked up at Trinity only to see that she, too, was skimming through the application.

"Trinity?" he called.

Trinity didn't bother to look up as she expected Morpheus to say whatever he had to say, but when he didn't speak up after a moment, she looked up and asked, "Yes?"

"Let's talk."

Now she was curious as to why all of a sudden Morpheus wanted to talk and what he wanted to talk about.

"Sure…" she said hesitantly, "about what?"

It seemed to her that Morpheus was about to say something, but then suddenly decided against it and gestured to the two piles of paper that stood between them instead.

"I think it'll be better for us to at least have some ideas about what we're looking for in the new recruits," he suggested. "That way, we won't have to fight later."

Though she knew that wasn't what he was meaning to talk, she knew she could never squeeze anything out of him unless he really wanted to speak up. So, she pretended not to notice and nodded her agreement instead.

* * *

After three whole days of paperwork, Morpheus and Trinity were now moving pieces of furniture, preparing the place for interviewing all chosen applicants.

When they had done moving the last piece of furniture, which was a sofa, both Morpheus and Trinity flopped down onto it. They both sighed and rested their heads on the backrest.

"Why isn't Niobe in all these trouble?" Trinity wondered, turning to her leader.

Morpheus thought about it for a second then turned to face his second in command.

"From what she told me, she'd settle for three for the moment," Morpheus noted. "So she only recruited one operator and she got his name from the list Tank and Dozer gave her."

"I'm glad you and Niobe still talk to each other."

"There's no reason for us not to," Morpheus noted. "We're not a couple of teenagers who tend to hate their exes after they broke up."

"So you still love her?"

Morpheus smiled but said nothing in reply. Trinity looked at him and shrugged.

"I guess she still loves you too," she continued. "It's strange, though. I mean, why can't two people who love each other stay together when some people who obviously hate each other's guts refuse to break up?"

"I guess in the latter case, they were just afraid to be alone while in my case, love just ain't enough," he explained.

With that, Morpheus turned back and watched the curve ceiling. Trinity did the same.

"Do you ever feel lonely?" Trinity asked. "You know, being in your position and all. I mean, everyone is looking up to you like you're some kind of idol."

Morpheus glanced at his former apprentice and corrected, "Not everyone."

Knowing what the man was suggesting, she glanced back and said, "Alright, not everyone, but still…" she trailed off. "How can you live up their expectations?"

"I can't," Morpheus admitted. "That's why I try to stay away from Zion for as long as possible. That's why I failed to have any close relationships with the Neb's new crews. What keeps me going, however, is my dream. It gives me a reason to lead this kind of life, but it also makes me lonely as hell."

Trinity turned to look at her captain only to see him staring at the ceiling. Unable to find the word to say, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. As a result, Morpheus turned to look at their hands.

"I'm not lonely, though," he continued. "I still have someone who doesn't see me as the great captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, but simply as Morpheus. It's this group of people that keep me from falling to pieces, even now that they have all scattered away except for you."

"Like I once told you, Morpheus," Trinity said lightly. "I didn't have anywhere else to be. You are my home. And I promise you, I'll never give up on you, ever."

The captain of the Nebuchadnezzar took a long considerate look at the dark-haired woman who was staring back at him. He then squeezed her hand softly before he let go of it.

Taking a deep breath, he buried all emotions that came to surface back deep down in his heart. Knowing him all too well, Trinity noticed it was time to end the sentimental moment and got back to a serious mode, so she sat up.

"Let's get ready for the interview, shall we?"

* * *

After a long interview session had finished, it was time for Morpheus and Trinity to share their opinions about the applicants. The dark sturdy man leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping a hot drink while the fair lithe maiden sat at the coffee table with her legs crossed.

"So, how many are we going to recruit?" she demanded.

"The Neb has enough room for ten people," Morpheus mentioned. "But we have to save a space just in case we're going to free some minds. I'll say two to four."

"Anyone you like in particular?"

"No one really stands out," he stated. "So I'll just settle for anyone who's not too extreme."

"Nah…you'll have to settle for someone who believes," Trinity suggested. "Either in the One, or in you."

"It'll be best if they believe in both," Morpheus added casually. "Then again, I have a crew who only believes in me but not in the One, and I have a crew who believes in neither but stays just because of the former crew."

"At least Tank and Dozer believe in both," Trinity observed.

Morpheus moved to join Trinity at the coffee table and took a look at the interview results of their final contestants. It turned out that it wasn't as difficult as they expected since they had already eliminated some after the interviews, so they only had seventeen to choose from.

After they had reviewed some applicants, they either both shook their heads or had different opinions. So now, they still didn't anyone to recruit.

"What about this one?" Trinity asked. "Switch. Graduated from Zion Academy as the top ten of her class. Headstrong, tough, and she's also a sharp shooter."

"Does she have hair?"

"Of course she does," Trinity replied. She then paused and glared at the bald man. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I just don't want to deal with another skinhead, that's all," he noted slyly. "Otherwise, she sounds promising."

"So we'll recruit this one?"

"Do you have anything to say against her?"

"No."

"Good. Then we've got one," said Morpheus. "What about this guy?"

He handed her an application form and the interview result. Trinity simply shook her head and remarked, "He reminds me too much of Cypher."

"Fine," Morpheus shrugged. "Next one?"

Trinity glanced over the last paper in her hand then she shook her head and stated, "I don't like her attitude."

"Who does that woman remind you of this time?"

"A cheerleader I threw a cookie at," said Trinity. "I'm out."

"I've got two left," Morpheus announced. "Apoc. A quiet man. Good with machinery work. Graduated from the Academy in the same year with Switch."

"I'll take him if he's not bald."

Morpheus looked at the picture on the application then he stated, "Apparently, he has long wavy hair. So we'll take him."

"And the last?"

"Nah…I won't take him. He reminds me of Lock."

"Lock?"

"Captain Jason Lock," Morpheus explained. "We graduated from the Academy in the same year, but he's a Zion child. I don't know how or when it started, but he tried to compete with me in every possible way."

"And what did you do?"

"Just like Nomad told me to do," he replied. "I don't give a damn about him. I would be a waste of time if I did, but that doesn't mean I can stand that man."

"I think I understand what you mean. So, we'll only recruit Switch and Apoc."

"I believe that's what we're going to do," Morpheus replied. "There's another kid I have my eyes on, though."

"I never knew you're a pedophile."

Morpheus rolled his eyes at Trinity then he stated, "He was just unplugged from the Matrix and put in the Academy. The boy was another computer genius. If no one else recruits him when he's old enough to join a ship, I might consider taking him in."

"Does this kid have a name?"

"Mouse," Morpheus replied. "In six years, I'll see if I change my mind."

* * *

_I'm glad you enjoy reading this so far, Victoria. Now we're getting closer to the first movie timeline, which means we're a lot closer to the finish. Anyway, feel free to comment, and I welcome even rave reviews._


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: Don't own the Matrix or any characters you recognize from the movies. I do own Burns, though._

**Chapter 11**

_London, England_

A thirty-something-year-old man walked down his mansion and to the ride that was waiting for him there. As soon as he got into the limousine that was his ride, the driver drove off into a busy street of London.

Every time the limo got caught in traffic, the man glanced at his gold Rolex in frustration. After the car hadn't move for five minutes, the man sighed.

"How long will it take us to Heathrow at this hour?" he wondered.

"Don't worry, Mr. Burns," the driver replied nonchalantly. "You'll be there on time."

The man who was known as Mr. Burns knitted his brows after he heard the reply as he wasn't familiar with the voice of his driver. However, he chose to ignore it. At least, until he realized that the limo had taken the wrong turn.

"This isn't the way to Heathrow Airport," he complained.

"I'm using a shortcut," the driver replied calmly.

With that, the limo driver took a swift turn, taking the car to the road that had less traffic.

"Hey! Where the hell are you taking me?"

Not hearing any answer from the driver, Burns was paranoid. He decided to do the most risky thing he had ever done in his entire life – jumping off the car while it was still moving.

Yet, the driver seemed to be able to read his mind. The door of the car was automatically locked before he could open it and jump off, and no matter how hard he struggled to open it, the door was still perfectly locked.

"Sorry, Mr. Burns. I can't let you out...yet."

A few minutes later, the driver drove through a car park and pulled over at a spot that couldn't be seen by the camera.

"Okay…" Burns stated, trying to calm down. "What do you want? Do you want my money? You can take my watch. It's a real Rolex."

Before the driver said anything, the door was opened. Burns was about to jump out only to be stopped by a gun on his forehead. He froze and felt cold running down his spine.

"Would you be a gentleman and move over?" said a unique woman voice.

With a gun pointing at his head, Burns had no other choice but to comply. Then the owner of the voice stepped into the car next to him. She put the gun away and closed the door after she was in.

* * *

Burns stared at the dark-haired woman in a leather dress and swallowed hard. Sure she was attractive, but a pistol in her hand was a big turn off even when she's not pointing it at him.

She glanced at him with her cold blue eyes and it seemed she wouldn't say a word unless it was really necessary. Then again, he didn't see why she would need to talk to him.

Knowing that the situation couldn't get any worse for him, Burns took a deep breath and gathered his nerves.

"Who are you people?"

She raised an eyebrow. It seemed his question had surprised her somehow, but her expression went back to normal after a second.

"I'm Trinity, and the driver's Apoc," she replied. "We're working for Morpheus."

"So this 'Morpheus' sent you to kidnap me?"

Chuckling softly, Trinity shook her head.

"Actually, he sent us to abduct you. That's different," she explained. "We wanted to use a more civilize measure, but you're pretty hard to catch."

"Is he going to kill me?"

"That depends," Trinity replied coldly, "on whether or not I killed you first."

"What?!?"

A sigh could be heard from the driver who had been quiet for a long time. The long-haired man then noted, "Look, if we wanted you dead, you wouldn't be asking questions right now."

Trinity snickered.

"Okay," Burns sighed and started to relax but only a little. "Then what do you want from me?"

"Nothing," Trinity noted. "The real question is what you want from us."

Burns stared at Trinity in disbelief. He couldn't possibly understand why he would want anything from his abductors, and even if he did want something, he highly doubt it was being abducted.

"What in the name of God would I want from you?"

She gave him a side glance and stated, "And I thought you had a brain."

"Well, lady, I have," he insisted. "That's why I try my best not to give you a reason to blow it off."

Trinity tilted her head as she gave Burns another cold look then she asked, "Do I look like someone who needs a reason to blow somebody's head off?"

"No," he grimaced, shaking his head. "Now before you shoot me…does this have something to do with the Matrix Theory?"

"The Matrix is not just a theory," she remarked.

"Then what is it?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Look, I've danced around the subject for years, but nobody gives me the real answer. Of course, I want to know."

Trinity smile grimly and remarked, "Good. So take your shirt off."

If this had been a cartoon, Burns's jaw would have reached to the floor by now, but since it was not, he only gaped in surprise. After the shock had escaped him, Burns blinked and remarked, "Look, you're attractive, I admit, but really, lady, I'm not in the mood."

Trinity glared and pointed the gun at his head once again.

"Neither am I," she stated coldly. "Now take off your shirt or I'll put a bullet in your brain."

"Easy, ma'am," he raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "I'll take it off, no problem... Is it that time of the month or something?"

That earned a chuckle from Apoc who was still driving.

Trinity, however, didn't find any humor in it as she hit Burns's head with the gun before he had the chance to unbutton his shirt.

"Ouch! Jeez...remind me not to argue with a girl with a big gun," he sighed. "Woh! Holy cow! What in the bloody hell is that thing?"

Trinity glared at him once again as she pushed a big anti tacking device thingy (1) against Burns's stomach, but she gave him no explanation.

"You really need to consult a shrink sometimes, you know that?" he mumbled.

"Shut up!" she ordered.

Burns gave her a wry smile and did as she commanded. He didn't want to risk being hit on the head with that thing she was now holding since he could guess how much it would hurt, especially now that there was blood seeping down his forehead.

Much to Burn's relief, the trip didn't last much longer after Trinity had announced that he was clean, though of what he still had no idea.

Apoc pulled the car over and got out of the car to open the door for them. Trinity got out first then she waited for him to follow.

Once he got out of the car, Burns touched his forehead to feel if there was any bump, and he was not surprise to find that there was. Though the blood had already dried, he still felt a little headache.

"Follow me," said Trinity.

Burns looked back in the street and sighed as he realized he would probably miss the plane he was meaning to catch. Having nothing better to do, Burns followed Trinity quietly and wondered if it was going to be the worst day of his life.

* * *

Morpheus gave Trinity a disapproving look when he saw the bump on his newest target's head. He dismissed her by waving his hand, so she disappeared from the room.

"Pardon our rough manners, Mr. Burns," Morpheus said apologetically. "You are, after all, very hard to tract."

"So I've heard," Burns replied. "Why do you have me 'abducted' anyway?"

"The time I tried to contact you at your New York office, your secretary said you were in Belize," Morpheus recalled. "When we tried to track you down in Belize, you were on a plane to Rio. When I followed to Rio, you left for Zurich. But I digress. The point is we have to catch you before you leave for another city."

"You're saying it's my fault that I have to travel a lot?" he sighed. "Now seriously, if all you want to do is tell me about the Matrix, you can just make a call or make an appointment with my secretary."

"Time is the luxury we don't have," Morpheus replied calmly. "And they would know if we contacted you."

"It's not my problem that you're a known terrorist, wanted in most countries."

"I'm more concerned about your well being, Mr. Burns," he corrected. "If they should decide that you are a threat, then you were as good as dead."

"The more reason why I shouldn't stay," said Burns.

"If you want to continue living in a delusion, then I cannot stop you. You can spend the rest of your life in the Matrix, thinking that you're living while in fact you're nothing more than just another battery for the Machine."

"You are nuttier than I thought."

Morpheus sighed softly then he continued, "The Matrix is like a video game, and you are a character in it. You believe you are living in a real world, when the truth is that you are just in that game. The real world where they cannot control your fate is out there somewhere. I want to give you a solid proof, but unfortunately, there will be no turning back after this."

"So you're saying you can get me out of this so-called video game and show me the real world," Burns remarked. "But if I don't like what I see, I can't come back to the game world I'm comfortable with?"

"I can only show you the path," Morpheus stated. "Whether or not you're going to take it, is your choice."

"Then how are you going to show me?" Burns wondered. "Are you going to shoot me in the head?"

"No," Morpheus deadpanned. "That's Trinity's job."

Burns sighed. "For a moment, I thought I just walked into some kind of order that demands their disciples to show their loyalty by committing suicide."

Morpheus shook his head tiredly and showed him a red pill.

"This is how I'm going to show you."

"I don't do drugs."

"Good for you, but this is not a drug. It's a tracing program so I can locate you and take you out of the Matrix."

"What if I don't want to walk the path?"

Morpheus showed a blue pill he was holding in another hand, "Then take this one and the adventure ends here. You'll wake up in the morning and have no memories about this little abduction."

"This is tough," Burns commented, looking at the pills.

To Be Continued

* * *

(1) That thing Trinity used to get the bug out of Neo's stomach. 


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer:Just because I'm writting a fanfic doesn't mean I claim the Matrix as mine.

**Chapter 12**

As Burns reached out for the red pill, he gaped in surprise. He might have had a little concussion from the way Trinity hit him with a gun, but he was certain it wasn't enough to cause him a hallucination. He just saw the window behind Morpheus transformed into a brick wall in a blink of an eye.

Seeing Burn's strange reaction, Morpheus turned quickly over his shoulder and realized the deadliness of the situation. Both pills fell onto the ground as Morpheus reached for the guns he had carried under his leather coat.

The door slam opened, so Morpheus pointed both of his guns at the door, ready to fire at whoever entering it. He let his guard down a little as he realized the person who entered the room was in fact Trinity.

"The Agents are coming," she said grimly. "We have to go. I've already ordered everyone else to get out."

Morpheus looked at Burns with a look of pity. He sighed.

"What the hell happens?" Burns demanded.

"It appears we can't take you with us after all."

It was the third time of the day that Trinity had her pistol pointed at Burns. However, Morpheus shook his head slowly.

"Let's go, Trinity."

Although she seemed to disagree with him, Trinity put her gun away. They then both rushed their ways out of the door only to be followed by Burns.

"Hey, you can't just leave me here!" Burns complained. "What the hell is going on?"

Morpheus spun around, pointing a gun to Burns's head. He looked into Burns's horrified eyes. Sighing softly, he lowered his gun.

Just when Burns was wiping a sweat off his forehead, his eyes were widened in shock as a gunshot was heard.

Bang!

Burns collapsed to the floor, and cried as blood rushed out of the wound in his thigh. He looked at his gunman with a question in his eyes.

Morpheus's head fell as he mumbled, "Sorry."

With that, Morpheus and Trinity left in a superhuman speed. Burns could only watch in awe as the two known terrorists made their ways out of the building, wondering if he was seeing things due to the loss of his blood.

* * *

"Tank, we need an exit," Morpheus said in his cell phone.

There was no way to know what Tank said in reply, but it was probably something impossible since Morpheus shook his head.

"No can do," said the captain of the Neb. "Find one closer."

Trinity turned to look at Morpheus although they were now running down the stairs. As she turned back to where she was going, Trinity gasped. While they were running down, the Agents were on the way up.

Soon as the Agents spotted her, the shooting rampage began.

"Oh, craps!" Morpheus yelled, pulling Trinity back up the stairs. "Up!"

With that, they both retreated back up. Trinity was still ready to open fire at any second when she ran along side Morpheus. Sound of helicopter landing down on top of the roof could be heard.

Morpheus didn't waste his time looking up. He simply retreated back to the room he had just left, passing Burns who was still lying on the floor, waiting to bleed himself to death.

Neither Morpheus nor Trinity could care less about the dying man they had past. They entered the room they had just left and locked it behind them.

Morpheus walked too the far corner of the room while Trinity stayed back at the door. She looked around and all she realized was that they were trapped in that small room.

"Alright," Trinity looked at her leader, trying her best not to panic. "How do we get out?"

Morpheus said nothing in reply as he was busy with something else. Before Trinity could ask, Morpheus left his spot and joined her at the door. He spun her around and used his body to cover her.

BOOM!

Debris was blown in the air as the whole wall collapsed. Letting go of his second in command, Morpheus instructed, "We jump."

Trinity shot her eyes up to Morpheus and grimaced, "I hate jumping."

Morpheus tilted his head as he looked at Trinity.

"Then you can stay and chitchat with the Agents."

After he had finished his line, Morpheus ran to the blasted area and jumped off the building. Trinity sighed softly and did exactly what her captain had done.

* * *

Morpheus wasted no time and leaded Trinity from rooftop to rooftop. His hand was still holding a cell phone which connected him to the operator.

"An exit, Tank," Morpheus demanded. "Be sensible this time."

"Sorry, sir, but that's the nearest exit," Tank replied. "They've relocated all phones in the area."

"Super," Morpheus snorted.

Morpheus sighed and glanced at Trinity. "Guess what, Trinity? We're going to Heathrow."

Trinity stared wide-eye at Morpheus. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was," he replied then looked around to find the best way to get them both to their destination without getting killed first. Then something caught his eyes. "And that's how we're gonna get there."

Trinity's followed Morpheus gaze. An evil smile formed on her usually expressionless face.

* * *

The next thing they knew was that they were riding on a black shiny chopper, being chased by a bunch police.

Trinity was trying her best not to fall off the chopper when Morpheus revved up the engine and zigzagged between cars in the street. At this point, being killed by the hand of the ruthless Agents was the least of her concern. She was more worried about falling off the chopper and being run over by a truck.

However, there was no chance Morpheus would slow down even after they had lost all police officers since the last turn because he knew the Agents might show up at any seconds. After all, the Agents were what he should really be afraid of.

The way Morpheus rode could have shied Evel Knievel, but then again, if you were being chased by the Agents, you would break all traffic rules that ever existed as well.

How Morpheus managed to ride the chopper over other cars was highly questionable, but since he is a fictional hero in the world that was full of possibilities, he could do just about everything.

Trinity turned back to shoot at the police car that suddenly appeared out of the corner while Morpheus took a sharp turn at the end of the road. On one hand he was still holding on to a mobile phone.

A sign of Heathrow Airport could be seen by the runaways.

"Hang on!"

There was no need for Morpheus to say it twice when Trinity responded by clinging on like a lizard. Feeling Trinity's arms around his waist, Morpheus revved up once again and sent the chopper flying in the sky. Trinity began to curse herself for not leaving with the other crews when she had a chance.

* * *

Bystanders gaped in awe was they saw two most wanted criminals made a daredevil move and headed to one of the busiest international airports.

Though neither Morpheus nor Trinity wanted to make a scene when they entered the terminal, it was impossible when the cops are right behind them. Morpheus decided to ride his stolen chopper straight through the gate of the first terminal he saw.

As security guards gathered from all positions, Trinity pulled two Glock-18s (1) out of the holsters inside her leather coat and opened fire without waiting for Morpheus's command.

People were running for their lives. Screams could be heard everywhere.

Trinity didn't even thought about warning the travelers to get down as she believed they all should know better than to stand in the line of fire. Still, she hated to waste her bullets on security guards and the Metropolitan Police as she might have needed them later to hold the Agents off.

While Trinity was shooting, Morpheus kept riding and talking on the mobile phone.

"Which phone?"

"The phone booth is straight ahead, sir," Tank informed. "Wait for the one that rings."

As Morpheus rode straight to the phone, he saw a fearless security guard pointing his gun at their direction and was about to shoot. Subconsciously, he dodged, causing the chopper to lose its balance.

Before it could hit the ground, both the rider and his passenger sprung off the chopper. The sliding chopper then hit the fearless airport security guard, knocking him to the floor.

When he was getting up, Morpheus drew out two Micro-Uzis (2) and began to fire. He then looked at Trinity who was still crouching on the ground and beckoned her.

A phone rang.

Trinity made a run for it, trusting her leader to watch her back. When she picked up the phone, she hesitated for a second but her hesitation died once Morpheus looked over his shoulder and yelled, "Get the hell out!"

When bystanders gasped after they saw the dark-haired heroine disappeared from the phone booth, those bystanders transformed into Agents.

Morpheus knew his time was running out, so he retreated as quickly as he could to the phone booth.

The Agents shot to his direction, though Morpheus highly believed they were aiming at all phones in the phone booths instead of him.

The phone rang again and it was a matter of what going to reach to that phone first, Morpheus's hand or the Agent's bullets.

* * *

The Neb's crews sighed in relief as Morpheus opened his eyes. Dozer took the honor to pull the plug out of Morpheus's head and help the captain sit up. Once Morpheus regained his breathing and the crews were convinced that their captain was in a good shape, all of them left, except for Trinity.

Morpheus wore an emotionless mask until he was certain that other crews had gone back to their duties.

"Alright," he sighed. "Just say it. You were right and I failed."

"_We_ failed," she corrected. "So what? The Morpheus I know wouldn't give up just because of a few failures. You'll find a new potential, and this time, he might be the right One."

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Morpheus asked, "Seriously, Trinity, why are you cheering me up? You don't even believe in the One."

"I don't, but I have faith in you. That's why I hate to see you losing your hope. Now, tell me you still have more targets."

"So you can shoot him and leave him to die like Ash(3) and Burns?"

"Actually, _you_ shot Burns," Trinity pointed. "Besides, they had to survive if they were the One."

"Right," Morpheus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"So you still didn't tell me who my next victim will be?"

Sighing tiredly, Morpheus replied, "The name is Neo."

* * *

(1), (2) Those are submachine pistols  
(3) From Animatrix: The Detective Story, I believe Detective Ash was his name.  
As usual, I thank all readers, especially Victoria who keeps sending me kind reviews. I hope everyone enjoy this chapter. Next one we will finally meet the One and the only Neo woh! 


	14. Chapter 13

_Like I said before, there is no way for me to own the Matrix_

**Chapter 13**

"How long do we have to keep an eye on him?"

The question came from Trinity as she was watching the code of the Matrix. Morpheus was standing at a far corner of the room when she asked.

"As long as it takes," he replied.

"What makes him different from the others?"

Morpheus sighed before he approached to the only crew who had been with him since he captained the Neb.

"Not just him. I have to be sure before I risk unplugging anyone," he stated. "I was wrong the other times, and those times could have cost your life."

"Not to mention your own."

Morpheus gazed at Trinity for a while then he smiled as he told her, "I was meant to sacrifice myself for the One, you know."

Trinity shook her head and asked, "Is that what the Oracle told you?"

"Yes, among other things," he nodded.

"So do you believe he is the One?"

Morpheus raised an eyebrow and countered, "Do you?"

The blue-eyed lady looked back at the computer screen for a little while then she shrugged and pointed, "Everybody knows I never believe anyone is the One, so why would it be different this time? Besides, he's too nerdy and geeky."

The bald man chuckled lightly.

"That sounds much better than other comments you made on the people I believed they were the One," Morpheus noted.

"So?"

"So I see this man has potential. I could be wrong again, but then I could also be right."

"Somehow you sound more confident than other times."

Morpheus looked at Trinity with a soft smile on her face then he remarked, "That is because this time you didn't undermine me like the other times before."

"What do I have to do with everything?" she asked innocently.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Trinity, but I know you are the key to finding the One."

"What makes you think so?"

"You, of course," he pointed. "It's the way you always objected my idea of who the One should be. Actually, I suspected the Oracle told you something more than you let on, and that something had to do with who the One is. I just don't know what it is yet."

Trinity stared at Morpheus, trying to call his bluff, but failed miserably. He was still smiling at her in that soft and gentle way he always did.

"Aren't you supposed to release me of this shift?" she asked, frustrated.

"Well, yes, but you didn't seem too anxious to be off duty."

Rolling her eyes, Trinity stood up and stormed out of the room. Morpheus looked at her with a soft smile although the look in his dark eyes was impossible to read. That look disappeared once Trinity was gone and was replaced with determination as Morpheus took the seat in front of the computer and started his shift.

* * *

Months had past since Morpheus had announced he had found the One, and now that One was lying in an infirmary bed with thousands of needles pinning on to him like he was playing a lead on Hellraiser.

Though it was Dozer's job to help Morpheus taking care of Neo while they were planting new muscles for the man, Trinity still showed at the infirmary room from time to time.

"He could freak out, you know?" Trinity warned while she glanced over Neo who seemed to be very fragile at the moment. "The older you are, the harder it is to handle the truth."

"He doesn't have anyother options," Morpheus replied, looking at Neo's chart. "Besides, I think I can handle all kind of reactions after the '_I'm bald_' incident."

Trinity chuckled dryly.

"Very funny," she said. "If you ever said a word about that _incident_ again, you're as good as dead."

"Is that a threat, Trinity?"

"No," she replied so sweetly it sent chill down Morpheus's spine. "It's a promise."

Morpheus swallowed and pretended he was interested in Neo's condition while in fact he was thinking about the possibility that Trinity would actually keep that promise. Since he could say that he knew the lady as much as she knew herself, he knew that it was time he buried the memory to the deepest part of his mind and never again brought it to the surface even when it was necessary.

"Fine," he promised. "No more skinhead joke."

Trinity glared at her captain who gave her a sheepish smile then she sighed.

"I can never kill you, Morpheus," she remarked with a fake gloom.

"Oh, believe me, Trinity," he countered. "You can and you are."

Before other words could be said, Dozer was back to the infirmary. The cozy air around Morpheus and Trinity had suddenly disappeared only to be replaced with the air of seriousness when they both switched to their professional mode.

"Hey, Trin," Dozer greeted. "I didn't know you were here."

"I just want to check up on Neo," said Trinity. "I want to see if the One is any different from anyone of us."

"And I told you that out in the real world, the One is an ordinary Clark Kent. He can only be Superman inside the Matrix," Morpheus noted. "And that was after he has totally freed his mind."

"Then I'll wait and see," Trinity noted. "I'll leave you both to your work now. Dozer. Morpheus."

She acknowledged both male with a nod so they nodded back at her in response before the dark-haired woman left the infirmary.

* * *

The one thing all the Neb crews knew was that since the Sentinels had increased the number of their attacks, Morpheus rarely shared their table. He would let all the crews had their meal while he was watching out for the Sentinels. 

So it had become normal for Morpheus to come to the dining room after the crews had finished. Yet when he came to the room this time, Trinity was still in presence, pouring some gooey food that was the only food knownon the Neb into a plate. When she was about to fill a cup with some water, Morpheus cleared his throat.

Trinity turned around and greeted him with a small smile.

"Enjoying the food much, I see," Morpheus teased.

"I'm bringing it to Neo," she explained. "He didn't come out for dinner."

"I can see why. Firearms and explosives training plus another jump in the same day, that's rough even for the One," he spoke. "I've gotta give him credit for not afraid to jump for the second time after the first fall."

"Are you implying something?" Trinity asked, raising a brow.

"No," Morpheus replied slyly. "Just bring the food to him before it goes bad."

Trinity looked at her leader with her eyes narrowed and remarked, "You know what, just take this one."

Morpheus tilted his head and looked at the impulsive lady who stood right in front of him with a question in his eyes, "I thought you prepared this for him."

"He's probably still asleep anyway," shereplied randomly."Now I just want to keep you company."

"Thanks, but no, thanks," Morpheus replied. "There is a reason why I chose to eat later, you know?"

"You can't stand Cypher too?"

Morpheus shook his head tiredly before he reluctantly took Trinity's offer. Just when he began to eat the food, Trinity asked, "By the way, did he make that second jump?"

"He did," Morpheus replied, "Almost fell off the edge, but he did. I thought you knew that already."

"I can never watch anyone fall," she said truthfully. "It reminds me why I hate jumping so much. I had this recurring nightmare that I fell off a building and died."

"If I were Sigmund Freud, I'd probably link that dream to your deepest desire, but I'm not," he stated. "So what I can only say is to me it doesn't matter if you hate or even fear to jump as long as you can do it."

"I'm not afraid to jump," she corrected, "but I'm afraid to fall. It's my greatest fear."

Morpheus looked at Trinity for a moment and noted, "Mine is loneliness."

Knowing exactly what the man was talking about, Trinity gave him a reassuring smile before she replied, "Even when worst come to worst, you still got me. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Morpheus nodded. "And that's why I'm afraid."

"Hey!" Trinity protested. "I was trying to be nice here."

Morpheus shrugged and gave Trinity a grateful smile. Neither of them knew how their conversation ended that way when they started it with Neo's training.

Seeing that Morpheus had almost finished his dinner, Trinity got up to pour some food for Neo. Little did she know what Morpheus really meant to say when he replied to her previous remark.

Footsteps could be heard stepping away from the dinning room when Trinity turned around to leave for Neo's room, but neither of them cared. The crews usually left if they saw their captain with their first mate for not wanting to barge in on any discussions that might intended for executive ears only.

Trinity then picked up a tray and walked to the door. As she reached to the threshold, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

"By the way, when are you planning to take Neo to the Oracle?" she asked. "Not that I want to pry but Cypher asked me that question the other day and…"

"After he finished the Agent training," Morpheus replied solemnly, ignoring the rest of Trinity's excuse. "You'll know when the time's come."

Trinity nodded and left the dinning room so Morpheus could finally have a quiet and peaceful time to himself.

* * *

**A/N**: I'm really sorry for those who want to see a grand introduction of Neo, but well, what can I write? You've seen it all in the first movie. 

Again, a usual thank you note to RainAwhile, a.k.a. Victoria. It seemed we were online at the exact same time when I post the previous chapter since your review came like less than ten minutes after I updated that chapter.


	15. Chapter 14

_Grr…Do I have to repeat myself again? Alright, alright, I don't own the Matrix, savvy?_

**Chapter 14**

The Nebuchadnezzar had just been ripped apart. Morpheus felt chill running down his spine at the very thought. He wasn't sure if the ship could be fixed, but he was certain that if another ship was lost, he would be devastated.

He then looked around once again.

Tank was severely injured for he was shot by a man who had shared the same ship with him for almost a decade. Morpheus couldn't help but think that it was his fault he recruited Cypher. He should have known that a man who was used to luxurious life would never be satisfied with the real world.

Looking at the lifeless bodies of Mouse, Switch and Apoc, Morpheus was struck with a pang in his heart. What did they do to deserve to die? There was no need for Cypher to kill them, really. In fact, Cypher's wrath should be directly towards him, not them. He was supposed to sacrifice himself for the One, so he should have been the one who died, not his crews.

After having laid his eyes on Cypher's dead body for a second, Morpheus looked away in disgust. He clenched his jaws and decided it was best to leave that body out in the open. He wouldn't care if the Sentinel should collect it and used it to feed new babies. After all even if that man died again for a thousand times, it still couldn't justify his action.

The captain of the Neb then turned his attention towards Neo and Trinity. He sighed softly when he saw that they were still kissing, not paying attention to the serious situation around them. After he had given them a few minutes of peace, Morpheus approached to them and cleared his throat.

Trinity and Neo turned to look at him.

"If you're done," Morpheus stated, "I'm gonna need your help."

Neo quickly gathered himself up so he failed to see the way his new love sent her captain a narrow glare and the way the said captain gave her an indifferent shrug as a reply.

"Sure, Morpheus," said the One. "What do you want us to do?"

"Our friends were killed, but it could take several days for another ship to find us. I don't want to just leave them to rot, so I figure we should arrange small funerals for them."

"How are we supposed to bury them?" Neo wondered. "I don't think the ground is soft enough for us to dig."

"We don't bury people in Zion, Neo," Trinity explained. "We cremate them and let the family decide what they would do to the ashes."

"Okay," Neo nodded. "Then how are we going to cremate them?"

Morpheus gave Neo a smirk then he noted, "I do know a thing or two about building a fire. I only need someone to help moving the bodies out of the ship."

"Alright, let's do it," said Trinity. "But I'm not going anywhere near Cypher. That man has sickened me even when he was alive."

"I think you've made that pretty clear for us," Morpheus said, rolling his eyes. "You're not moving anyone, Trinity. I think Neo and I can handle that. Right now I need your expertise in radio broadcast."

Trinity nodded as she understood what Morpheus was telling her to do.

"I'll see if I can radio for help," she replied.

With that, they all went on their designated duties. Morpheus and Neo moved the dead while Trinity went to find a way to broadcast a signal for help, using the skill she hadn't used since she was brought out of the Matrix.

* * *

It wasn't hard for Morpheus and Neo to finish their task, but they had yet to cremate the bodies of their shipmates. It was until later when Trinity and Tank joined them to get the last look at the people who they had spent more time with than their own family so they could all bid their final farewells.

The cremation went on rather quietly as none of them could find a word that would be enough to express their sorrows. So in the end, they simply stood there and kept their mourning in their hearts.

After their friends were consumed by flame, they all turned away from the scene.

"I already sent out an S.O.S. message," said Trinity.

Morpheus nodded. "Good. So let's just pray somebody's got that message or we'll have to travel back on foot."

A worried look appeared on Trinity's face for a second when she glanced at Tank who was still watching the flame consume his brother's body.

"Let's just pray it works," she agreed.

* * *

Luck was still on their side when it appeared the Logos was close enough to catch the transmission.

Morpheus and the crews had finished gathering ashes of their late friends by that time so when the Logos landed right next to them, they were ready to get on board. A moment later, the Logos's crews got off their hovercraft to greet them.

A curious look appeared on all three faces of the Logos's crew when they laid eyes on Neo as they had never once met the man. However, they thought they had an idea who the new man could be since Morpheus had earlier announced he had found the One.

"Captain Morpheus," Niobe greeted.

"Captain Niobe," Morpheus replied. "I'm glad you received our transmission."

Niobe smiled at Trinity when she noted, "I guess Trinity still hasn't lost her touch after all these years. What happened? Where're the rest of your crews?"

Anger shone in Morpheus's eyes as he thought about the situation then he replied with a well-controlled voice, "Cypher happened. He traded us for a chance to get back inside the Matrix."

"But that's impossible."

"What's impossible?" Morpheus asked. "Him betraying us or him being reinserted into the Matrix."

Niobe sighed but said nothing in reply. Turning her attention back to her operator, Niobe commanded, "Spark, send words to Zion. The Nebuchadnezzar was attacked. Only four crews survived and are now on board of the Logos."

With that said, Niobe turned her attention back to the Neb's crews.

"Come," she invited. "I'll give you all a ride back to Zion."

"Thank you, Niobe," Morpheus replied.

"Don't mention it," said the Logos's captain.

With that, Niobe turned and led everyone to her hovercraft. While the others were comfortable on the Logos as they seemed to know who the Logos's crews were, Neo felt like he was an outcast for he had no idea who they were.

Neo walked a little closer to Trinity as though he was afraid to lose her in the crowd even when there were less than ten people on board of the Logos at the moment. He might be able to take down the scary Agents, but Neo had to admit he hated socializing with new people.

Morpheus walked alongside Niobe and realized the lady's attention was on the new face, so he said randomly, "That's Neo. Do you want me to introduce him to you?"

"Maybe later, but now tell me if the rumor's right and he's the One."

"He can stop bullets," Morpheus remarked. "I guess that's enough to proof that it's not just any rumor."

"And you're still a believer as ever," Niobe commented. "Anyway, are they…?"

By saying "they" Niobe meant Neo and Trinity.

Morpheus seemed to understand what she was asking even before she finished her question, so he gave her a firm nod as his reply.

"I could never see this coming," Niobe muttered. "Isn't he….well…to plain for her liking?"

The captain of the fallen ship could only chuckle before he noted, "She's changed a lot since the last time you two met, Niobe. Besides, opposite does attract."

"But still…."

"I know," Morpheus agreed, cutting Niobe off midsentence. "Then again, the Oracle has predicted this."

Niobe didn't need to ask when the Oracle told Trinity that since she could recall the event that occurred when they brought Trinity to the Oracle for the first time. Turning to look at Neo for a shot while, Niobe sighed. "Now I understand the yelling."

Morpheus could only snickered in response.

* * *

**A/N**: I'm planing to update more freqently so I'd finish posting this story before my midterm comes up. Anyway, from now on I won't be leaving any author notes at the end of the chapter (which is a good news because you won't have to put up with me babbling any longer.) Also, I'd like to thank Victoria again for all reviews. Until the next chapter. 


	16. Chapter 15

_If I owned them, I'd be rich, filthy rich, but sadly, I don't._

**Chapter 15**

A Keanu Reeves look alike went out of his cabin for a little walk during the night even though he knew he shouldn't be walking around in the ship he wasn't familiar with. Yet, the ship had a similar blueprint with the Neb, so he didn't have to worry about getting lost.

When he reached to the operation center, Neo was a little surprise to see Morpheus watching the Matrix when the task should be performed by one of the Logos's crews.

"Hi."

Morpheus turned around and acknowledged Neo with a nod before he turned back to watched the Matrix codes.

"You're supposed to take a rest," Neo observed as he approached to the man, looking away from the Matrix codes as they all glowed in front of his eyes.

"I can't," Morpheus replied. "Too much adrenaline pumping up my vein in one day, I guess. What's your excuse?"

"I had a nightmare," he claimed. "What's going to happen to the Neb?"

Morpheus sighed softly then he marked, "Zion will send a team to see the damage. If it's worth fixing, which in this case it is, they will fix it. If we're lucky, we'll be back in operation in a month."

"Has something like this ever happened to you before?"

"Once," Morpheus stated, "but that was a long time ago."

"So you and the Neb crews went a long way, didn't you?"

"Mouse was with us the shortest," Morpheus explained. "He had only been on board for a year before we unplugged you. Switch and Apoc had been with us for six years. Cypher had stayed for almost a decade. Dozer and Tank were recruited at the same times and that was about twelve years ago."

"And Trin?"

"Of all crews of the Neb, she's been with me the longest," Morpheus stated. "I'd say about thirteen or fourteen years, fifteen tops."

"So you and Trinity are close."

Morpheus chuckled softly although there was nothing funny about that remark. He tilted his head and looked at Neo with a blank look then he remarked, "I'm not sure what you're getting at, Neo, but I sure I don't want to have to guess, so shoot."

"Now that you've mentioned it," he began, taking a deep breath to gather his nerves. "I just want to make sure that it's alright with you that Trinity and I are…"

"In love? Romantically involved?" Morpheus offered, raising an eyebrow. "Why should I have any problem with that?"

"Well," Neo licked his now dry lips. "I saw the way you two talked to each other, and now that I know how long you've known her. I think I know you saw her as a…"

Neo trailed off and swallowed hard as he saw a challenge in Morpheus's eyes even though the latter man had put on his most nonchalant expression.

"Sister," Neo finished lamely.

"In other words, you want my blessing."

Neo nodded firmly, so Morpheus chuckled dryly in response.

"If you believe I see her as a sister, then you ought to know that whatever makes her happy also makes me happy," he stated. "Besides, I find no reasons why I should forbid my crews from falling in love or having romantic relationship if they can still perform their duties at their best abilities. I only have one thing I want to say about this, though."

"Which is…?"

"At first, I was going to say if you break her heart, I'll break your neck, but that's a total cliché. Besides Trinity can do it herself," Morpheus admitted and smiled softly as Trinity's name was mentioned. "So I guess what I have to say now is congratulations. And oh, you have my blessing."

A smile bloomed on Neo's face as he said, "Thank you."

Morpheus returned his smile with a smirk.

"Is there anything else you want to get off your chest, Neo?"

"No, not really," Neo replied. "I think I should just go back to bed."

"Goodnight then, Neo" said Morpheus.

"Goodnight, sir."

With that, Neo left, feeling like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. Morpheus watched as he left and sighed. His vision was once clear but now it was clouded. Once he was certain, but now he began to doubt. Was it right to lay all hope in one man's hand? Would the end be worth the sacrifices?

* * *

Shock was an understatement for Neo when he first set foot on Zion. For the man who had spent most of his lifetime unnoticed, he couldn't help but feeling uneasy under all attentions from Zion citizens.

Morpheus had an unreadable expression on his face when he looked at all people who gathered at the dock waving flags to welcome the One. The captain of the Neb then glanced at his second in command who returned the glance with a wry look that said this couldn't get any worse. They both were now envy of the Logos crews and Tank who managed to escape to the other side, using an excuse that Tank needed medical attention.

Neo pleaded both Morpheus and Trinity with his eyes to help him only to see Morpheus's amused look and Trinity's tired eyes.

A few seconds later, they were approached by an old man with white hair. Morpheus gave him a little bow before he greeted the man, "Councilor Hamann, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Trinity too bowed at the man as she too said, "Councilor."

"Captain Morpheus, Trinity," Hamann replied. "My condolence to what happened to your crews. Yet, I'm glad you both make it."

"Thank you, Councilor," Morpheus replied. "May I introduce you my newest crew?"

"It'd be my honor," said the councilor. "Is it true that he is the One?"

"I'm most certain that it is," said the captain. "Councilor Hamann, this is Neo. Neo, meet Councilor Hamann."

"It's a pleasure to see you, sir," said Neo.

"The pleasure is mine," Hamann replied. "Anyway, Morpheus, since you returned to Zion before we expect, we have yet to prepare a new room for Neo. Have you thought about a room arrangement?"

Smiling slyly, Morpheus glanced at Trinity. "I'm pretty sure one of my crews will be happy to share a room with him," he noted. "If not, then he can stay with me until he has his own room."

Trinity muttered something inaudibly, earning a chuckle from her captain.

"So this is settled," Hamann said. "On a behalf of Zion citizens, I welcome you to our city, Neo. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Neo gulped as he saw the way young women eyed him then he forced a smile to Councilor Hamann and replied, "Thank you, sir."

It seemed both Morpheus and Trinity, too, noticed the way Zion girls looked at Neo, and they knew the unavoidable. Sure some women would make a move on the One, but what they weren't sure was what Neo was going to react.

Knowing that Neo wasn't as innocent as he seemed, Morpheus didn't worry much. Yet he tapped Trinity's shoulder and whispered, "You'd better mark your territory now, Trinity, or someone else might try to make their move."

"They can feel free to try," she hissed, "If they're not afraid to lose their head – literally."

Looking at the way Neo was moving closer in Trinity's space, Morpheus shrugged.

"Well, I guess there's no need anyway," he noted. "So it's settled, huh?"

"What?" Neo asked.

Trinity sent Morpheus yet another dead glare before she replied, "You're staying with me."

* * *

Having been nobody for most of his life, being in a limelight made Neo extremely uncomfortable to stay in Zion, so most of the time, he hid himself in Trinity's room.

While Trinity was usually under a spotlight as she was Morpheus's right hand, now she had even more jealous eyes were on her when everyone could see how the One was clinging on to her.

All those attentions were driving Trinity mad and before Neo arrived, she would search for a peace of mind from Morpheus. However, now that she was with Neo, she knew how it would look. After all, she wasn't a fool not to have any idea of what Neo was feeling about her relationship with the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar. It wasn't like they didn't trust each other, but it was better not to overuse it.

In the end, Trinity, too, didn't spend much time away from her respective room. And it bored her so much she couldn't wait to go back to her real home – the Neb.

Her prayer was answered when Morpheus was knocking at her door after two weeks had past. Morpheus's smile faded when he saw Trinity's weary form.

"Alright…" he began. "You look like you haven't slept for days. What the hell did he do to you?"

Trinity looked back into her room and saw that Neo was still in a bathroom, so she stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"No, wait!" he shook his head. "I don't really need to know that."

A faint smile was offered as a response to his comment then Trinity noted, "Please, tell me the good news."

"They've finished repairing the Neb," he informed. "It still needs recharging, though. Anyway, I'm just here to say that we're leaving this place tomorrow so you'd better be prepared."

"Finally," she sighed. "I'll tell Neo to get ready."

Morpheus turned to leave, but he stopped like something had just popped in his mind. He then turned back and remarked, "By the way, Neo's fan club is throwing a farewell party for him tonight. They'd expect him to show."

"So I don't have to be there, right?"

"No, but I don't think Neo would go alone either." Morpheus snickered.

Trinity sighed.

"It's just one party, Trinity," Morpheus soothed. "Next thing you know, we'll be off again and we don't have to come back until the ship needs a recharge. I mean, Tank's doctor ordered him to stay back in Zion for observation, so there'll be just the three of us."

For the first time since they set feet on Zion, they both felt at ease.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Trinity.

"Yeah, see you then."

Morpheus turned around once again and began to walk off.

"Hey, Morpheus," Trinity called.

Morpheus shot a curious look over his shoulder only to meet with Trinity's sad smile.

"I miss you."

"I know."

With that, Morpheus strode down the corridor, thinking about all the sacrifices he had made. Though he couldn't say he regretted it, he knew how much it had cost him. He had never felt more alone than now that he was surrounded by the people who looked up to him.


	17. Chapter 16

_There's no chance for me to own the Matrix, really._

**Chapter 16**

Since Neo joined the Nebuchadnezzar Morpheus rarely joined his crews in a meal, yet tonight was one of those rare occasions. He was now sitting on one side of the table while Neo and Trinity were sitting beside each other on an opposite side.

After having watched Neo and Trinity exchanging quick glances and playing with their food for a little while, Morpheus decided he had had enough for one meal. He then said randomly:

"You know, it's healthier if you just focus on the food while you are eating."

Trinity shot her eyes up to meet Morpheus's blank expression with her rather irritated one. She narrowed her blue eyes and snapped, "Why, Morpheus? I never knew you were concerned about my health condition."

Chuckled softly as he knew he got on her nerves, the captain countered, "Actually, I'm more concerned about my blood sugar level."

Trinity sent him her trademark dead glare, which never failed to intimidate anyone, but perhaps with an exception for Morpheus who still manage to keep an amused look in his dark eyes.

Neo looked between Morpheus and Trinity with an obvious curiosity. A perplex look could be spotted on his face when he stated, "But I thought this is the healthiest food there is."

Neither Morpheus nor Trinity really knew if Neo really didn't get it or he got it well enough to try to do the task that the One was meant to do, ending the war; but at this point, they decided that they didn't really need to find out.

Morpheus had a blank expression on his face when he stated the obvious, "That's because it's the only food we have."

Neo laughed sheepishly at his own naivety though the look in his eyes stated otherwise. The other two people on the ship joined his laugh.

"Now that we're talking about health, is there any word about Tank?" Trinity asked, changing the subject.

"He's getting better," Morpheus replied, thinking, "Though I highly doubt Zee would let him get anywhere near this ship soon."

"Zee?" Neo asked.

"Tank's sister," Morpheus explained. "She was against the idea of Tank and Dozer joining the Neb since I came to them with the offer."

"Can we blame her, really?" Trinity commented.

"No," Morpheus shook his head. "Even I must admit that she's right."

"I thought many people want to join this ship," Neo interjected. "I mean, when I was back in Zion, many people ask me when we would recruit new crews."

Recalling the last time they recruited new crews, Morpheus and Trinity exchanged a look of dread.

"Maybe they're in your fan club, Neo," Trinity suggested. "If it weren't for you, I doubt anyone would want to join this ship."

"I don't think I have anything to do with it," Neo protested.

"Maybe you do, or maybe you don't," Morpheus noted. "But no matter what, we're not going to recruit more crews. We still have as many crews as the Logos. Not to mention one of them is the One."

There was no way to know how Neo thought about Morpheus's reasons not to recruit new crews, but for Trinity, she knew that it had nothing to do with the reason he claimed and that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was crossed by one trusted henchman so he lost most of his crews either.

"So…what if Tank's not coming back on board?" Neo wondered. "Would you recruit a new crew or have Trinity work as an operator like she's doing at the moment?"

Looking at Trinity who narrowed her blue eyes at him, Morpheus shook his head.

"We're going to recruit a new operator if that's the case," said the captain. "There's no reason for me to keep Trinity away from the Matrix except I want her to ask for a transfer, which wouldn't do me any good."

Trinity smiled slightly.

"Besides, if she left, you'd probably ask to be transferred with her, and I'd be left with no crews," Morpheus added casually.

The remark earned Morpheus a pout from Trinity and a laugh from Neo. The captain of the Nebuchadnezzar could only shrug and continued with his meal.

* * *

Morpheus was welding the floor of the ship where Zion mechanics had missed as they were only intended to make it operational, not perfect. A lot of work still needed to be done if he wanted to make it look as good as new, but Morpheus didn't ask for any of his crews to help.

He wasn't sure how long it had taken him to do the task, but he knew it keep him busy during the day. Having worked almost 24/7 for the past couple of decades, Morpheus found it impossible to just sit down and relax in the free time he gained from putting Neo in charge of the mind freeing business.

Morpheus wiped his sweaty face with the back of his hand and continued welding only to stop when an aluminum mug filled with water was quietly handed to him over his left shoulder. He decided to drop a task in his hand for a moment and accepted the drink.

He then sat down on the floor and leaned against the nearest wall as he sipped the water before he put the mug on his side. Stretching his arms, he looked up only to see Trinity standing with her arms crossed.

"Thanks," he said.

The look on her face told him that she was contemplating on whether she should stay and have a little chat or she should leave right then. Since she couldn't make up her mind, she did neither. Instead, she stood quietly and waited, but for what, she had no idea.

During the time they had known each other, there were hardly awkward moments between them, but now Morpheus could only pursed his lips as he realized what had changed that.

Sighing softly, he picked up the mug and took another sip to clear his throat before he remarked, "We haven't talk much lately, have we?"

Although they still spoke to each other on occasions, Trinity knew it wasn't what Morpheus was meaning to say. When the man said they rarely talked, he didn't mean a random chat on a dinning table or a simple greeting in a control room but he meant really talk.

So Trinity nodded, knowing that he was right.

"I won't say how or why, Trinity, because we both know that," he continued. "It's true we don't spend as much time as we used to together, but I can assure you, though, that it wouldn't change anything between us. I might have never told you before, but you're my best friend and confidant, and nothing could ever change that."

Trinity blinked. She wanted to say something in reply, but she could say nothing as a lump miraculously appeared in her throat.

Morpheus gave Trinity a small smile and continued, "You may have found a new home, but I am and will always be here for you if you ever need me."

The Neb's first mate could only keep her gaze at the captain when she did her best to swallow down the lump in her throat.

As she opened her mouth to say something back, footsteps could be heard. Neo then walked innocently in. He looked between Morpheus and Trinity as he could feel the tension in the air, then he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh…did I just interrupt something?" he asked.

Morpheus shook his head and took another sip. He then looked back at Trinity with an odd mixture of sadness and amused in his expression.

"No," Morpheus replied. "Trinity just waits for me to finish the drink so she can clean the mug."

"It's my week to do chores," she added, feeling that her voice was drier than usual.

"Yes," Morpheus agreed, handing Trinity the said mug. "Thanks, Trinity. Now if you both don't mind, I have a floor to mend."

Trinity knew it was her cue to leave, so she walked away quietly. Neo wanted to follow her, but when he saw Morpheus continuing his task, he bit his lips and asked reluctantly. "Need a hand?"

Although there were many ways for Morpheus to answer to Neo's question, he simply smiled and shook his head before he explained.

"No, no, no. Gas welding happens to be my way to meditate. You can go, Neo. Thanks for asking."

"Alright, if you say so," Neo nodded.

The One then followed Trinity out. Morpheus watched him leave and pursed his lips as he concentrated back to the task at hand.


	18. Chapter 17

_I do not own the Matrix._

**Chapter 17**

Morpheus had always believed he would never again lose a ship to the Sentinels, but he was wrong. Even after Neo had done what he was meant to do, the war was still not over, and the Nebuchadnezzar was blasted by the Sentinels.

Though they all had escaped the ship alive, Morpheus realized his hopes and dreams were crushed along with the doomed ship. He almost thought he would meet his end in the grip of the Sentinels, but somehow, Neo had been able to use his meta-human ability to stop the Sentinels before they reached to them.

Of course, it sent the One to a deep coma.

After Morpheus had finished a briefing with Roland, he decided to check up on Trinity. As he knew she would never leave her man, Morpheus went straight to the infirmary room.

When he entered the room, no one else was there except for him, Trinity and two unconscious men. It seemed Trinity didn't even notice that he was there, so she was startled when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he greeted.

Trinity looked up, and at the point he saw the look in her blue eyes, Morpheus swore he would do anything in his power just to bring Neo back. He could even trade his life for Neo if it would wash away that expression.

"We will bring him back," said Morpheus. "I promise."

"But how?"

The question was short, yet it was difficult to answer. Honestly, he had no idea how, but he couldn't let her know that. Though he could come up with a lie that would make her feel a little better, he knew that wasn't what she wanted.

"We'll think of something."

"He saved me, Morpheus," she said softly with no preamble. "He said he loved me and he wouldn't let me go. There are things I want to say to him, but now I might have lost that chance."

"He'll be back and you'll have your chance to say those words," he insisted. "You just have to believe."

Morpheus's eyes darted to the screen that was showing Neo's condition. A pattern in the screen reminded him of something, so his heart beat a little faster.

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Morpheus."

The captain who had lost two ships sighed and squeezed his hand that was still on Trinity's shoulder, giving her the only kind of solace he could think of.

"You have to believe he will find his way back to you," he whispered. "But if you can't believe that, then believe in me. I've found him once, I'll find him again, not for the hope to end this war, but for you."

"Why?"

The look in Trinity's eyes when she looked up to him broke his heart. Yet he gave her a soft reassuring smile as he replied, "Neither of you gave up on me when I was captured by the Agents. Besides, since when was I able to tell you no? Now I need you not to give up. I'll try to find him."

Trinity nodded and turned her attention back to the unconscious Neo when Morpheus paced slowly out of the infirmary room.

* * *

More bad news was delivered once Neo's mind had reunited with his body. The future of Zion would end in less than twenty-four hours unless they did something, and right now, the only thing to do was for Neo to go to the Machine City. So now the man left to prepare himself for the journey he might never return from.

When Morpheus decided to leave the operation center to find a peace of mind, he saw Trinity standing right in the middle of the hallway like she was waiting on someone. He knew then that that someone was him.

He felt a little nausea when he knew what this conversation would be about. There was no reason for Trinity to stay behind when her man was leaving to make a deal with Deus ex Machina. She had never let him walk alone when he needed her before, so now that he needed her the most, she would go with him no matter what. After all, he was The One, and she loved him.

Morpheus nodded at Trinity to acknowledge her presence. Now that he really thought about it, he noticed how long it had been since the last time they shared a private moment and talked about something else that wasn't involved Neo. Since the man arrived, things had changed between the two of them, but it wasn't like Morpheus had anyone to blame. This, after all, was how things were supposed to be.

"Can I have a word?" she asked softly.

"Sure, Trinity," Morpheus replied. "What is it about?"

Trinity pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

"You know Neo decides to go to the Machine City, right?"

Tilting his head, Morpheus looked at Trinity with his curious eyes. He narrowed his eyes a little to show how confused he was.

"I'm not going convince him to change his mind if that's what you're asking."

"No." she shook her head. "I'm going with him."

Morpheus nodded at the knowledge. Although he had already expected that she would tell him so, when the words really came out of her lips, his heart still fell and the right words didn't seem to exist.

The only thing he could bring himself to say was, "It's dangerous."

Trinity stared at her captain for a moment as she wasn't quite positive what he was really meaning to say.

"Are you trying to talk me out of this?"

"Are you asking for my permission?" he countered.

They both chuckled dryly although they didn't see any humor in it.

"I know there's no use in trying to stop you," Morpheus explained. "Even if I forbade you from going, you would go with him still."

"Have I ever disobeyed your direct order?"

Morpheus smirked at her question before he shook his head, "Not that I remember, but there's the first time for everything."

"Well, that's the one thing I hope I would never have to do," she noted genuinely.

He looked at her for a moment before he cast his eyes away.

"Then you will never have to," he promised. "Go, Trinity. Do what you must."

Trinity looked at her feet and sighed.

"Thank you, Morpheus."

"You don't have to thank me for this."

She shook her head before she looked him in the eyes.

"No, Morpheus, thank you for everything."

The captain of the Nebuchadnezzar gave his first mate a sad smile.

"You still don't have to thank me."

"I know, but I still want to," Trinity stated. "I know you love me."

Surprised, Morpheus could only stare at the blue-eyed woman in front of him. He had thought he knew her well enough that nothing she said or did would ever surprise him, but now she had just proven him wrong.

It took him a moment before the sentence registered in his head, and once it did, another thing eventually dawned to him. So, he smiled.

"I know you love me too, Trinity."

Trinity responded to the sentence by giving him a bittersweet smile.

"Sometimes I doubt if this would change anything," she remarked.

His face fell a little when he was once again reminded of the reality of the situation. With a soft sigh, he stated, "We've chosen our path, so we must stick by it."

"I was meaning to ask you if you ever regretted it, but I think I already know the answer."

Giving her a rather sad smile, he stated, "It's for the best."

Pursing her lips, Trinity nodded, "Yeah…"

Taking a long look at the woman who had stood by his side through all those years even when everyone else had left, Morpheus knew how hard it was to say goodbye. So he opted for the easier and blessed, "Good luck, Trinity."

"You too, Morpheus," she replied.

Although it was her cue to leave, Trinity still lingered there, feeling that something was missing. Hesitantly, she walked closer to her captain and put her arms around his bulky body, hugging him for one last time.

Morpheus returned the unexpected embrace and breathed in her scent. He closed his eyes for a moment, and at that exact moment, the world seemed to stop spinning. He wished he could stop time so it wouldn't have to end, so it would last forever, but he knew his prayer would never be answered.

When they parted, they stared at each other for a long while. The look was as intense as a kiss.

"Be safe," he whispered.

With a soft nod, Trinity turned and walked down the dark and narrow path to the cabin she shared with Neo. Morpheus watched her leave, knowing deep down in his heart that it would be the last time he would ever see her.

To Be Concluded


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own the Matrix Trilogy or any of the fine characters.

A/N: I'd like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude for all readers who keep reading this story so far and for everyone who put this story on their alert or favorite lists. Also, I'd like to give a special thank to RainAwhile who's been giving me kind reviews. Thank you all so much, and I hope you'll enjoy this last chapter as much as I do.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Now he was standing alone once again under yet another dark day in Zion. It had been almost three months since he had that conversation with Niobe in the night she caught him thinking.

He knew that she had suspected something when she left that night, but to his relief, she still had no idea what he was planning to do. Still, Niobe wasn't a fool, and soon she would figure it out. He simply hoped he could hide it from her, at least until she was out on a new mission.

Morpheus knew his wish would be granted this time. The Council had just called all captains to a meeting and had assigned a new mission to each of them. Hence, Niobe and her crews would leave Zion this afternoon for a three-month-long mission.

Being a captain himself, Morpheus also had new task which he enthusiastically accepted even though he couldn't care less about it. In fact, he only accepted it for it was the only way he would have a chance to get on a new hovercraft to do what he had planned for the past couple of months.

Morpheus couldn't tell how he got to the dock, but since he was there, he decided to check on the new ship that was assigned to him along with a new mission – the _Nabonidus_.

The ship wasn't quite ready to launch yet, so he would have to wait for another week before he could go on with his mission. However, Morpheus wasn't in a rush. After all, he had spent most of his lifetime waiting. Seven more days would make no difference.

The captain of the Nabonidus smiled and nodded at some mechanics and some crews of other ships. He was then greeted by the kid who had looked up to the Neb's crews and wished to be one of them.

"Hello, sir," said the kid. "I hear your new craft is boarding next week."

"You're right, kid."

"I wonder if you're looking for some new crews," he said hopefully. "Since all your crews…"

The kid stopped himself even before Morpheus had to glare at him. He then looked at Morpheus just to meet with the captain's indifferent look.

"And you still want to join," Morpheus raised a brow.

"Yes, sir," the kid said firmly.

"This cruise would be nothing like you've expected, kid," he warned. "It's not an adventure. You may never return home. Are you sure you're willing to take that risk?"

The kid took a second to think then he nodded.

Chuckling dryly, Morpheus stated, "Well, kid, I'm not."

"But, sir…"

"Take a walk with me."

Morpheus didn't even wait for the kid's response when he strode down the road. His eyes focused right on the dark horizon. His feet kept pacing while his heart was asking him how long he had to keep playing a part of an idealist. He couldn't even remember how long had it been since the last time he allowed himself to be just Morpheus and nothing more.

He sighed as he heard someone running after him.

"Where are we heading?" the kid asked.

"The park."

The answer was short, yet the kid knew exactly where Morpheus was talking about. The man was heading towards the memorial park that was built in honor of Neo and Trinity.

"But I thought you didn't like it there," the kid protested.

"If you want to join my ship, the first thing you must learn is never to question my command," Morpheus deadpanned.

So the kid swallowed whatever protests he had down his throat and followed the lone captain down the road to the empty park.

Morpheus had to blink for several times to get a clear sight at the park in front of him. Two statues could be seen in the middle of the park, one was Neo's replica and another was Trinity's. And he couldn't help but clench his fist and grind his teeth.

Because Morpheus had suddenly stopped, the kid had almost run into him.

"So, sir, why are we here?"

Morpheus smiled sardonically. This was only the second time he was there. The first time he was there to give a short speech in memoriam of Neo and Trinity when they placed the statues there. He still remembered the very short speech he gave when they opened the park.

He never again set foot on the park until now. So everyone simply assumed he didn't care much for either the memorial park or the lost heroes. Contrary to the famous belief, he cared, and he cared enough to actually hate that place.

He hated it because neither Neo nor Trinity had a real funeral. Their bodies weren't even searched for, let alone been found. Everyone were too scared to try and recover their bodies, so they just created a park, thinking it was enough. However, to Morpheus, it wasn't over until he got the closure he looked for.

It would only end when he could get their bodies back and put their ashes under the graves that had been made for them. Then he might be there more often or even express his sorrow. But now that their bodies were still somewhere in the Machine City, the place was meaningless. It was just another place and another stone.

Shaking the thought off his head, Morpheus wondered, "Why do you want to be my crew so bad?"

"I want to follow Neo's footsteps."

"Even if it means going to the Machine City and getting yourself killed in the process?"

Swallowing hard, the kid said, "If I must."

"If you're Neo's biggest fan and hope to know what it's like to be him, I can tell you right now that you won't get that feeling," Morpheus stated. "Though I hate to admit, the closest link to the man is right here in front of us."

"You mean the statue?" the kid said in disbelief. "Gosh, I thought you knew better. Now I know you're exactly like what they said about you."

"Then what do you think about these statues?"

The kid frowned then asked in disbelief, "You won't even ask me what they said about you?"

"I already know what they said."

He knew how the citizens criticized his speech in the ceremony and how they thought he could at least say something more meaningful to honor the dead, but Morpheus didn't care. They didn't need to know how he felt. His feelings were his alone and not meant to be shared with anyone. His words were for solely for his last crews, not for the Zion citizens.

"But you won't say anything to defense yourself?"

Morpheus dismissed the kid's words and looked up to the statues when he repeated his question in a calm manner, "What do you think about these statues?"

"What is it with you and the statues?" the kid returned. "They are just statues, goddamn it! They died saving us, and all we gave them was these? Man, they deserve a funeral – a real one."

"Getting their bodies back may cause a new war," Morpheus mentioned. "The Council can't risk that."

"Then they're a bunch of cowards," the kid remarked before he turned to glare Morpheus accusingly. "And you're no different from them. To think I used to admire you."

Morpheus gave the kid another indifferent look.

"The Nabonidus boards 6 A.M. sharp next Saturday," he stated. "I expect you to be there on time."

"And what makes you think I will be there?"

Morpheus raised an eyebrow when he looked at the kid.

"Because you know I'm not going to obey my direct order," said the captain. "I'm going to the Machine City to find our lost heroes, or what left of them."

The kid froze for a second.

"Are you serious?"

"You think you're the only one who cares, kid?" Morpheus snapped. "Think again. I've known Trinity for almost two decades and Neo was like a little brother to me."

"So it's not true that you dislike this place…" the kid mumbled.

Morpheus smirked, "No. I hate it."

The kid now looked at Morpheus with a new light in his eyes. He then bowed at his future boss. "6 AM, Saturday, sir? You can expect me there."

With that, he turned around and headed back to the direction he had come from.

Morpheus waited until the kid had gone from his sight then he turned back to the statues. He looked up and it seemed Trinity's statue was smiling back at him. The smile couldn't warm his heart like hers always did, but he still smiled back anyway.

"I must have been a terrible captain," he mused. "My ship is wrecked. All my original crews are dead. Now that I have a new ship and a new crew, I want to lead them to a deadly mission."

With that, he chuckled dryly.

"You never did ask me if I ever regretted the things I chose to do, and I never told you," he continued. "I wanted you to think I was strong, that I never regretted anything I did for Zion."

He looked at the statue again, but this time it seemed to give him a knowing look.

"The truth, Trinity, is I'm just a man," he sighed. "I'm not like Neo. I don't have any special power."

Casting his eyes upon a statue of Neo, Morpheus smirked.

"I'm not saying that you're more than human either, Neo. I know exactly what you did before your mind was caught between the Matrix and the Machine world," he accused, narrowing his eyes. "But there's no use in discussing that now, is there? It's not like there's nothing I wish I didn't do."

Looking back at Trinity statue, he continued, "There're plenty, really, but I know we can't undo the past."

He sighed and stared at the dark horizon.

"You both have saved me," he recalled. "Now I'm gonna bring two back no matter what the cost, I promise you that."

Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the two statues that stood in front of him.

"I'll be seeing you."

After taking a long last look at the statues, Morpheus set out on his chosen path. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he also knew that only death could stop him from fulfilling his promise.

He continued on his way with a determined look in his eyes, knowing that even though he still had a long way to go, in the end, he would see them again, and even death couldn't stop him.

**The End**


End file.
